Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3278: Public Opinion in Europe: Political Influencers, Followers and democracy

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

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: 

 

  • The nature of political attitudes  

  • Understanding quantitative research  

  • Theories of opinion formation  

  • Political sophistication and heuristics 

  • Political contestation I: left/right conflicts  

  • Political contestation II: cultural conflicts  

  • Models of voting behaviour 

  • The rise of populism 

  • The role of emotions  

  • Filter bubbles, misinformation, and social media 

  • Public support for democracy 

  • Tolerance 

  • The public divide over the EU and Brexit  

  • Identity politics I: cosmopolitanism and European identity  

  • Identity politics II: Anti-immigrant sentiments  

  • Identity politics III: far right parties   

  • Attitudes towards the redistribution of resources within and across nations  

  • Attitudes towards gender equality 

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
44256

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities442 hour weekly seminars with a mix of short formal lectures, student led seminar, and collective discussion
Guided Independent Study98Preparing for seminars: reading and research
Guided Independent Study158Completing assessment tasks: reading, research and writing

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
Presentation of paper outline at end of term 1 6 minutes 1-9Written

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
Essay 1402500 words1-9Written feedback
Essay 2402500 words1-9Written feedback
Presentation (individual) 20 Presentation (individual) 1-9Written feedback
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
Essay 1 Essay (2,500 words) 1-9August/September re-assessment period
Essay 2Essay 2500 words1-9August/Sept reassessment period
Individual Presentation Written report covering the topic of presentation (900 words per missed presentation) 1-9August/September reassessment period