Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3057: Biopolitics

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Overview

NQF Level	6
Credits	30	ECTS Value	15
Term(s) and duration	This module ran during term 1 (11 weeks) and term 2 (11 weeks)
Academic staff	Dr Angela Cassidy (Convenor)
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
Available via distance learning	No

The term ‘biopolitics’ first came into use in the early 20^th century, as a variety of political thinkers applied new ideas from biology to developing political theories of society. Multiple versions of ‘the biology of politics’ have surfaced and retreated over time ever, drawing on a range of biological ideas, from organicism to sociobiology, via genetics and cognitive science. This idea was turned upon its head during the 1970s by the social theorist Michel Foucault, who used ‘biopower’ to describe how social and political power over life has increasingly been created since the 19^th century. This latter idea, the ‘politics of biology’, has been adopted by many social scientists thinking about science and society in the 21^st century. In this module we will explore the multiple and contested versions of biopolitics over the past century, as played out in debates over evolution and ‘human nature’; agriculture and environments; health and medicine; and new technologies.

Module created	14/03/2017	Last revised