Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2099: The Politics of Social Justice

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

The module will begin with a discussion of the importance of radical and critical philosophy, which serves to examine and question the “root” assumptions of political thought, rather than to offer a normative account of how we should live. Critical approaches to social justice emphasize deeply problematic norms, habits, structures, and beliefs already established in society and maintain that the identification and articulation of these problems is the essential task for a politics of social justice. The primary intention of this module, then, is to encourage you to think critically in the face of social injustice. To ask questions like: Who is benefitting from this injustice? What are the basic assumptions at work that allow this injustice to continue? Whose voices are privileged in conversations about this injustice? Whose voices are silenced or left out? 

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. Understand the historical and philosophical underpinnings of a prominent political phenomenon.
2. Critically evaluate different understandings of social justice.
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Perform close readings and analysis of complex theoretical texts.
4. Articulate complex theoretical concepts and apply these to practical political problems.
Personal and Key Skills5. Engage in conversations with others about complex political problems.
6. Write a well-organized and well-argued essay defending a single argument.