Module POL3223 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3223: Political and Civic Engagement in an Age of Political Disaffection
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
The examine the changing nature, and extent, of political and civic participation in contemporary society
To introduce you to the extent of, and reasons behind, disenchantment with formal politics and political institutions;
To examine alternative and newer forms of civic and political participation including democratic innovations and non-traditional forms of political action;
To encourage you to engage with theories which address the motivations behind people’s voluntary contribution to the collective public good and to help develop students’ abilities to evaluate these theories on the basis of empirical evidence;
To develop your knowledge of different approaches and methods for enhancing civic participation used by governments and NGOs;
To help you see things from the perspective of a public or non-profit body through collaborative working, and to equip students with report writing skills similar to those used in a policy or practice setting.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge of forms of, and recent trends in, civic engagement, including political participation 2. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of key factors affecting and motivating civic engagement, including political participation 3. Critically assess competing explanations for political disaffection 4. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of a range of theoretical perspectives relating to prosocial behaviour 5. Show appreciation of the practical challenges in enhancing civic participation, and demonstrate creativity in devising methods for achieving it |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 6. Translate insights from theory and research into viable, practical policy interventions 7. Evaluate and distil theory and evidence to arrive at original conclusions supported by relevant arguments |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. Work independently and manage time efficiently 9. Communicate complex ideas and concepts coherently, both verbally and in writing 10. Interact effectively and proactively within a team/ learning group, to share information and ideas, and to manage conflict 11. Produce an implementation strategy with real world value to a practice or policy setting |
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.
Barrett, M. & Zani, B. 2015. Political and Civic Engagement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. London & New York: Routledge.
Berger, B. 2011. Attention Deficit Democracy: The Paradox of Civic Engagement . Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford.
Dalton R. J., 2004. Democratic Challenges, Democratic Choices: The Erosion of Political Support in Advanced Industrial Democracies. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Durose, C. and Richardson, L. 2016. Designing Public Policy for Co-production: Theory Practice and Change. Policy Press, Bristol.
Hay C., 2007. Why We Hate Politics. Polity Press, Cambridge.
Hay C. and Stoker G., 2009. "Revitalising Politics: Have We Lost the Plot?." Representation. 45: 3, 225–36.
Henn, M. & Weinstein, M. 2006. ‘Young people and political (in)activism: why don’t young people vote? The Policy Press. 34(3): 517-34.
Henn, M. and Foard, N. 2011. ‘Young People, Political Participation and Trust in Britain’. Parliamentary Affairs, 65(1).
Howard, P.N. et al. 2011. Opening Closed Regimes: What Was the Role of Social Media During the Arab Spring? Project on Information Technology & Political Islam. Working Paper.
John, P., Cotterill, S., Moseley, A., Richardson, L. Smith, G., Stoker, G & Wales, C. 2012. Nudge Nudge Think Think: Experimenting with Ways to Change Civic Participation . Bloomsbury Academic.
Norris, P. 2011. Democratic Deficit: Critical Citizens Revisited. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Norris, P, & Inglehart, R.F. 2016. ‘Trump, Brexit and the Rise of Populism: Economic Have-Nots and Cultural Backlash’. Faculty Research Working Paper Series. Harvard University. JFK School of Government Paper RWP16-026.
Pattie C., Seyd P. and Whiteley P. 2004. Citizenship in Britain. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Putnam R., 2000 Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Renewal of American Community. Simon and Schuster, New York.
Sloam, James. 2013. “The ‘outraged young’: How Young Europeans Are Reshaping the Political Landscape.” Political Insight 4(1): pp. 4–7.
Smith G., 2009 Democratic Innovations. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Stoker G., 2006. Why Politics Matters: Making Democracy Work. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Stoker G., 2006. "Explaining Political Disenchantment: Finding Pathways to Democratic Renewal." The Political Quarterly. 77: 2, 184–94.
Whiteley, P. 2011. Political Participation in Britain: The Decline and Revival of Civic Culture . Palgrave Macmillan Basingstoke.
Xenos, M., Vromen, A., Loader, B.D. 2014. ‘The Great Equalizer? Patterns of Social Media Use and
Youth Political Engagement in Three Advanced Democracies’, Information, Community & Society, 17(2): 151-167.
Yang, H. and DeHart, J. 2016. Social Media Use and Online Political Participation Among College Students During the US Election 2012. Social Media + Society, 2(1), pp.11-13.
