Module SGIA3691: The Political Science of Contemporary Issues

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3691: The Political Science of Contemporary Issues

Prerequisites

• • SGIA 2361 (Analytical Politics) and one other SGIA Level 2 module.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to the analytical tools used in Political Science to study contemporary phenomena of concern to the political order;
• To expose students to classics and cutting-edge Political Science research;
• To equip students with the analytical tools to observe, question, theorize, and develop ideas on how to address current political challenges.

Content

• How can Political Science help make sense of the pressing issues we face in the world today? This module introduces students to the tools and theories used in Political Science to develop an informed understanding and explanation of phenomena that appear to challenge national, regional or global orders. The module will equip students with the substantive background and analytical tools necessary to study current political issues, and expose students to the latest Political Science research that allows us to observe, question, and theorize about political phenomena. Students will learn how Political Scientists’ approach some of the pressing issues of our time and learn how to critically engage with them.
• The module’s content is research-informed and directed toward contemporary political phenomena. Possible topics may include climate change, population and authoritarianism, immigration and diversity, inequality and poverty, or “fake news” and the role of social media in politics. Topics covered will be announced at the time of registration containing at least one international and one national issue. While students are introduced substantively to each topic the aim of this module is not for students to become policy experts in each and every topic; rather the topics are used as vehicles for demonstrating advanced knowledge and analytical skills in the scientific analysis of politics. Students will read classics and cutting-edge research and be exposed to advanced formal and quantitative methods that speak to these issues, analyze suggested policies designed to address them, and discuss how these phenomena might be addressed politically.

Learning Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students will:
• Understand the politics underlying the issues discussed;
• Know how to analyse current political issues from a Political Science perspective by drawing on classics as well as cutting-edge theoretical and empirical research;
• Understand the political challenges in resolving these issues;
• Develop the analytical skills necessary to derive evidence-based policy implications.

• Having completed this module, students will:
• Be able to apply formal models of politics to current issues;
• Be able to use diverse sources effectively, in order to understand and analyse current political phenomenon;
• Be able to analyse and evaluate competing explanations of current issues;
• Be able to produce and evaluate reasoned social scientific arguments on the basis of evidence.

• By the end of this module, students will have demonstrated:
• Learning and study skills, including the identification and retrieval of relevant resources;
• Advanced written communication skills;
• An ability to frame and discuss political processes and phenomena;
• An ability to construct and evaluate reasoned arguments;
• An ability to evaluate and interpret empirical evidence;
• An ability to plan and manage time effectively.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The lectures will:
• Introduce students, together with assigned readings, to the topic and debates underlying specific issues;
• Highlight the fundamental political mechanisms at play drawing on classic and cutting-edge theoretical and empirical work in political science.
• The seminars:
• Will engage students in the political debates on the basis of the theoretical models and empirical evidence introduced in the lectures and readings. Seminars are devoted to discussing issues raised in the key readings, as well as addressing policy proposals and ideas on how to address an issue.
• Enable the development of verbal communication skills through small group and class discussions.
• The module’s formative assessment consists of a 10min presentation and a two-page critique developed in small groups of an existing proposal or idea of how to tackle a specific political issue. Presentations are held within tutorials throughout the academic year, at which time the two-page critique is submitted.
• The module has two summative assessment components:
• Engagement with key readings on a social e-reader platform (e.g., Perusall), where students are asked to comment on the text and address questions of fellow students throughout the week prior to the lecture/seminar, making reading a much more social and engaging experience. This will ensure that all students engage with the key readings and allows the lecturer to identify areas that need clarification and discussion prior to the lecture/seminar. Participation and quality of each student’s engagement with the assigned reading and fellow student’s comments will be monitored and evaluated before each lecture resulting in a participation grade, which makes up 20% of the final mark.
• An individual 4,000 words essay of the student’s choosing on a particular aspect of one of the issues covered, subject to approval from the module convener. The essay should highlight the relevance of a specific issue, summarize and evaluate the available academic and policy research, analyze the politics underlying the issue, and develop suggestions on how to politically address the issue. The essay will make up 80% of the final mark.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Small group critical evaluation of a policy proposal (10min presentation and two-page critique)

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University