Module POL2115 for 2022/3
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2115: British Foreign Policy
This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.
Module Aims
The purpose of the module is to help students understand British foreign policy making in practice and from the perspective of those participating in making and debating it.
The design of the module is informed by the convenor’s experiences of working in and advising the UK government as well as appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee in parliament. After surveying the geopolitical and historical contexts of British foreign policy, we will take a regional approach to consider Britain’s place in and relationship with different parts of the world. We will look at questions of aid and third-party intervention as well as traditional foreign policy in the narrowly-defined national interest. We will consider economic as well as political relations and take a decentred approach which considers paradiplomacy and the role of non-state actors including British businesses and civil society, as well as the overseas territories and the City of London.
We will close by considering future scenarios for the UK after Empire and under Brexit. It is a requirement that the positions taken in parliament – Right and Left, Isolationist and Liberal Internationalist, Atlanticist and Europeanist – are played as roles by students acting as members of the committee. We will study the current composition of the committee at the time of learning and students will take name badges to play the role of the chair or member during the simulation part of the seminar. Evidence givers will reflect further diversity including named foreign citizens and professional, academic and activist voices that are not represented in parliament. Simulations will therefore be as plural and diverse as is Britain.
By the end of the module, students will have increased their knowledge of the sources and contexts of foreign policy making in Britain and their understanding of how policy is debated and shaped in practice.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate knowledge of the historical and geopolitical context of British foreign policy, and the ability to situate this knowledge critically with respect to British foreign policy ideas and behaviours; 2. Demonstrate understanding of regions, issues and cases of British foreign policy in practice. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Demonstrate understanding of how parliamentary committees work, and the ability to utilise this knowledge in the role of a parliamentary committee chair, member or expert witness; 4. Critically analyse primary and secondary source material; 5. Construct well-structured and rigorous arguments in speech and writing. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 6. Communicate effectively in speech and writing; 7. Work independently and in collaboration with peers to achieve common goals, including in the context of simulations of parliament and committee work. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft written evidence | 600-800 words | 1-6 | Written on ELE |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 67 | 0 | 33 |
...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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral evidence | 33 | 5-minute opening statement followed by answers to questions from committee members | 1-7 | Written by email, following seminar |
| Research essay | 67 | 2,000 words | 1-2, 4-6 | Written by BART |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral evidence | Written evidence (1,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Research essay | Research essay (2,000 words) | 1-2, 4-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Students with ILPs excusing them from oral presentations should discuss with lecturer. They will be required to present in private. Alternate assessments without oral presentation will not assess ILO 7. Students who do not wish to make an oral presentation are advised not to choose the module.
