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 |
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:
- Citizenship and the Idea of Civic Engagement
- Theories of Citizenship
- Trends in Political and Civic Participation: Explaining Political Disaffection, ‘Anti-Politics’ and ‘Populism’
- The Critical Citizen? The rise of informal and non-conventional forms of political participation
- Young people’s participation in politics
- E-activism, social media and online participation
- Deliberative Democracy and Democratic Innovations
- The Social Capital Declinist Thesis: Are we really Bowling Alone?
- Civic Engagement as Participation in Public Policy – from Consultation to Coproduction
- Motivations for ‘Prosocial’ Behaviour: Theory and Evidence
- How Can Policy Makers, Public Managers and Non-Profits increase Political and Civic Participation? Case Studies from Policy and Practice
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 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 | 44 | 22 x 2 hour seminars - a mix of lectures, group discussion and student presentations |
| Guided Independent Study | 110 | Reading and preparing for seminars including taking notes and set readings |
| Guided Independent Study | 51 | Research and reading summary writing |
| Guided independent study | 73 | Research and writing of consultancy report, to include liaison with external organisation or internal university units where applicable |
| Guided independent study | 22 | Preparation for presentations |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Relevant URLs, youtube videos, podcasts and clips will be uploaded on the module website
Other Learning Resources
A variety of policy reports, strategy and consultation documents will be available on the module website
