Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3172: Political Participation

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

Module Aims

In many of the longest-established democracies, voter turnout and party membership are in decline, particularly among the young. Many people distrust and disdain politicians and the political process in general. With a focus on seeking explanations for such current problems of representative democracy, the module provides an introduction to the international literature on political participation. Among other things, it explores the significance of political knowledge, generational differences in political participation, the motives for ‘extreme’ forms of political participation such as revolution and revolt, and the extent to which new forms of political participation may have taken the place of the old.

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 Skills	1. List, describe and demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts associated with political participation 2. Identify appropriate empirical evidence that can be used to test claims about political participation Made by theorists, politicians and political commentators
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Identify and discuss the major political concepts and deploy them in appropriate circumstances. 4. Engage in sympathetic interpretation and reasoned criticism of theories 5. List, describe and evaluate different interpretations in the light of appropriate evidence 6. Use logic and reasoning to evaluate arguments 7. Apply abstract theoretical ideas and concepts to actual events and outcomes 8. Construct well-structured rigorous arguments based on logical deduction
Personal and Key Skills	9. The ability to study independently and in groups deliver presentations to peers, communicate effectively in speech and writing 10. communicate orally and appropriately use ICT 11. research & critically valuate information and apply techniques and theories in appropriate contexts 12. design and run presentations and demonstrate reliability and commitment to the ongoing process of class discussion

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:

Introduction
Classical and Contemporary Theories of Political Participation
Voter Turnout
Political Knowledge
Information and Participation
Socio-economic status and participation
Identity and Participation
Religion and Participation
Social Networks
The Internet and Social Media
Downsides of participation

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 hr seminars. Teaching is conducted through introductory lectures, followed by student-led seminars. The main emphasis is on weekly seminar presentations, for which all students are expected to read background materials to make possible their active participation in discussion
Guided Independent Study	80	Reading, preparation for seminars and class presentation, writing weekly summaries
Guided Independent Study	48	Writing 1 essay applying concepts in the course to current or historical examples

Online Resources

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