Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA1037: The Politics of Development

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:

  • Modernization theory and dependency theory
  • Structuralism and political development
  • The Washington consensus and poverty
  • Domestic factors (culture, religion, inequality, civil conflict)
  • International factors (colonialism, democratization, international financial institutions)
  • Political systems (political parties, political systems, populism, leadership)

Each week we will also cover a specific country chosen by the students from a list supplied by the module convenor. We will study the core development challenges of that country and the country's background.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activity22A combination of lectures, group work and guided class discussions (11 x 2 hours)
Guided independent study55Reading and preparing for the weekly seminars
Guided independent study14Researching and preparing group presentation
Guided independent study59Researching and writing synopsis and essay

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 assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Group presentation utilizing slides10 minutes1-4; 6-7Written feedback

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.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Synopsis201,000 words1-6Written feedback
Essay803,000 words1-6Written feedback
0
0
0
0

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 assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
SynopsisSynopsis (1,000 words)1-6August/September reassessment period
EssayEssay (3,000 words)1-6August/September reassessment period