Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3219: Politics Through the Life Course

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

Module Aims

This module aims to improve your  understanding of political socialisation, maturation and generational replacement processes over the life-course and how this interacts with social and political structures; your ability to analyse longitudinal data on political attitudes and behaviour; and your skills in critically evaluating the interdisciplinary research on life cycle events, identity, communication, inter-personal and social networks and political behaviour. Finally, the module aims to improve your ability to communicate insights into data analysis through an original research report. The ability to critically evaluate research results, summarise complex theories about value and attitude change and analyse data to understand the impact of critical events in the life course will enhance employability in a range of fields such as policy analysis, research manager and media and communications.

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. Critically assess how political attitudes and behaviour develops over the life course
2. Understand the key theories and approaches explaining the effects of life cycle events on political behaviour and attitudes
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Use statistical methods to analyse data and model political life cycle effects
4. Critically evaluate political science research according to its assumptions, methods, and conclusions
Personal and Key Skills5. Increase confidence in selecting relevant data, assimilating and synthesising multiple data sources
6. Integrate political science and other relevant disciplinary research with independent statistical analysis
7. Work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task .