Module POLM148 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM148: Brexit: Causes, Interpretation and Implications
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
This module familiarizes you with the relationship the UK has traditionally entertained with the EU before addressing in detail the different steps of the separation process now known under ‘Brexit’. It aims at providing you with the skills and knowledge to critically engage in the ongoing debate about Brexit, to evaluate and explain its different components as well as to develop a well-founded position yourself. To do so, it will look at relevant theories which help making sense of European integration in general, and the different aspects of leaving the EU in particular, for instance the economy, immigration, the Union, sovereignty and democratic control. The module is set up in such way that it supports the development of a variety of skills – analytical, methods, team skills as well as individual writing and presentation skills. Overall, it aims to enthuse you and help you position yourself in the defining British debate and development for years to come.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
---|---|
Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate in-depth understanding of why there was a United Kingdom referendum about EU-membership in 2016; 2. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the uncertain implications of exiting the EU, both for the UK and the EU; 3. Critically engage with the legitimacy of the referendum and its interpretation by political leaders since 23 June 2016; |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Critically engage with one of the most important political events of our time; 5. Construct rigorous arguments which show an understanding of key theories; 6. Deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical case studies; |
Personal and Key Skills | 7. Critically evaluate ideas and debates; 8. Write clearly and coherently; 9. Work independently and in collaboration with peers. 10. Communicate clearly and deliver presentations to peers. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Causes I: UK’s history with the EU
- Causes II: Media
- Causes III Party Politics
- Causes IV: The left behind
- The referendum campaign(s)
- Domestic implications I: The Union
- Domestic implications II: The Economy
- Domestic implications III: Democracy and sovereignty
- Field studies: which citizen support for Brexit?
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
---|---|---|
22 | 278 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x two-hour seminars. These will be a mix of lectures led by the module convenor, student presentations, and group work. The emphasis is on weekly seminar presentations and active seminar participation. |
Guided Independent Study | 70 | Reading and preparing for seminars, including in reading groups. |
Guided Independent Study | 30 | Preparation of presentation |
Guided Independent Study | 50 | Preparation of and implementation of field work |
Guided Independent Study | 128 | Preparation and writing of assessment |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|
Essay plan | Max. 400 words | 1-9 | Written |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
---|---|---|
50 | 0 | 50 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|---|
Presentation | 20 | 15 minutes | 1-10 | Written |
Group Field work and its presentation | 30 | 15 minutes | 1-10 | Written |
Essay | 50 | 4,000 words | 1-9 | Written |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
---|---|---|---|
Presentation | 15 minute viva | 1-10 | Term 3 |
Field work and its presentation | 15 minutes | 1-10 | Term 3 |
Essay | Essay (4,000 words) | 1-9 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Bogdanor, V. (2005) Footfalls Echoing in the Memory. Britain and Europe: The Historical Perspective, International Affairs, 81(4), pp. 689-701.
Copsey, N. and Haughton, T. (2014) Farewell Britannia? ‘Issue Capture’ and the Politics of David Cameron’s 2013 EU Referendum Pledge, Journal of Common Market Studies, Annual Review, 52, pp. 74-89.
Oliver, T. (2016) ‘The world after Brexit: From British referendum to global adventure,’ International Politics, 53(6), pp. 689–707.