Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3219: Politics Through the Life Course

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

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:

How to Study Politics through the Life Course: Key
Longitudinal Studies
Key Theories I: Socialisation – Early Childhood and Beyond
Topics I: Social Class, Education
Key Data & Methods I: on socialisation and examples
Key Theories II: Value Change
Key Data & Methods II: Age Period and Cohort Effects
Key Theories III: Life Cycle Effects – resources, social networks & identity
Topics II: Gender & Parenthood
Key Data & Methods III: Cross-national analysis

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	128	0

...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 Activities	22	11 x 2 hours weekly seminar meetings, discussion, presentations
Guided Independent Study	55	Reading, preparation for seminar meetings
Guided Independent Study	43	Preparation to complete assessments
Guided independent study	30	Data analysis and lab work

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Longitudinal Analysis & Other Research Methods: NCRM “In 2004 the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) set up the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) at the University of Southampton. NCRM was tasked to increase the quality and range of methodological approaches used by UK social scientists through a programme of training and capacity building, and with driving forward methodological development and innovation through its own research programme.” http://www.ncrm.ac.uk
UK Data Services – For all your data needs. https://www.ukdataservice.ac.uk
CLOSER – For all the longitudinal studies in the UK. http://www.closer.ac.uk
Sage Research Methods Online–SRMO is an online search tool that provides information and instruction on research methods in the health and social sciences. Available resources include books, articles, manuals and videos. http://methods.sagepub.com

A useful resource for conducting research is the scholar.google.co.uk. This allows you to conduct searches of all the major academic journals. Another resource for conducting literature searchers is Web of Science. You can find details of the Web of Science at: http://www.librarv.ex.ac.uk/quides/essentials/wos.pdf