Module POL3258 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3258: The Politics of Humour
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
Students taking the module will learn about competing theoretical approaches to the study of laughter and its social functions, learn to analyse written and visual satires from the 18th to the 20th century, study contemporary comedies, and analyse the potential limitations of using ridicule as a political weapon or mode of resistance. In the second term you will get a chance to develop an in-depth case study on a particularly effective (or ineffective) political use of humour drawn from history or the recent past. By the end of the module you will appreciate the importance of humour to the study of politics.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
---|---|
Module-Specific Skills | 1. Use different theoretical frameworks to study the various roles played by humour in political life 2. Treat humour as a gateway into understanding the values, beliefs, and power structures of a given society |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Explain the place of laughter in the history of philosophy effectively 4. Analyse humour as a form of political rhetoric |
Personal and Key Skills | 5. Appreciate the role of humour in critical thinking 6. Demonstrate effective communication skills |
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 assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|
Essay plan | 500 words | 1-6 | Written |
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.
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
---|---|---|
90 | 0 | 10 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|---|
Individual presentation | 10 | 8 minutes | 4 and 6 | Oral in class and then written afterwards |
Essay 1 | 30 | 3000 words | 1-3, 6 | Written |
Essay 2 | 40 | 3000 words | 1-3, 6 | Written |
Critical analysis of a satire or piece of comedy | 20 | 2000 words | 4 and 5 | Written |
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 assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
---|---|---|---|
Individual presentation | Individual presentation by video | 4 and 6 | August/September reassessment period |
Essays 1 | Essay (3000 words) | 1-3, 6 | August/September reassessment period |
Essays 2 | Essay (3000 words) | 1-3, 6 | August/September reassessment period |
Critical analysis of a satire or piece of comedy | Critical analysis of a satire or piece of comedy | 4 and 5 | August/September reassessment period |