Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC1023: Participating in Politics

This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Aims

This module provides a clear and inspiring introduction to different types of political participation in democratic countries. The module will enable you to reflect critically and creatively on the idea of a democratic phoenix, which purports that we do not need to worry about disengagement from politics – people are simply engaging in different ways. It will introduce you to the main ways of engaging in politics, and illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of political participation.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. analyse and understand the channels open for citizens to participate in politics in democratic countries
2. understand, evaluate and apply a range of concepts and theories about political participation to understand how and why political participation varies cross countries;
3. appreciate the efficacy of different types of political participation for achieving social or policy change;
Discipline-Specific Skills4. identify and discuss core political concepts around political participation;
5. understand how survey evidence is (mis)used in the study of political participation;
6. identify and evaluate value of academic literature for completing academic research & scholarly reflections
Personal and Key Skills7. apply scholarly reflections to own political participation;
8. communicate effectively in your written and oral work.