Postgraduate Course: Power: Conceptualising, theorising and investigating (SCIL11020)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Social and Political Science |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
Sociology |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None |
|
|
| Course description |
Power is a central concept for social and political analysis. This course introduces students to some major approaches to theories of power, and their application to substantive areas of research. It begins by considering key issues in the conceptualisation of power, and its relation to cognate concepts such as authority, legitimacy and domination. Then it explores the development of theories of power, identifying major debates, and approaches, and engaging with the ideas of key figures such as Machiavelli, Max Weber, Robert Michels, Steven Lukes, Michael Mann, Dennis Wrong, Michel Foucault, and Pierre Bourdieu. It also considers how certain dimensions of society (e.g. economy, politics, religion and morality, gender, social identity) pose particular questions and highlight particular issues for the investigation of social power. Within this broad frame, exact focus and content varies from year to year. The postgraduate component will require students to engage in-depth with selected key texts, both theoretical investigations and empirical studies, and to reflect on the relevance of these issues for their own dissertation research. |
Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites |
|
| Prohibited Combinations |
|
Other requirements |
None
|
| Additional Costs |
None |
Course Delivery Information
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to:
&· summarise contending definitions of power, and outline major theories of power
&· identify and critically assess major themes and debates in the theorisation of power
&· formulate a position on the pros and cons of contending conceptions of power
&· interpret conceptions of power in terms of the socio-historical contexts in which they are generated
&· analyse the ways substantive fields of research inform conceptions of power
&· critically assess how specific conceptions of power may shape empirical research |
Assessment Information
| Students will be assessed by way of a 4000 word essay on a topic addressing the theorisation of power, and agreed with the course convenor. This may concern either a general approach to the theorisation of power, or the investigation of power in a particular social context. Students will be expected to show initiative in going beyond the set readings for the course. The development of bibliographic and literature review skills will be emphasised. |
| Please see Visiting Student Prospectus website for Visiting Student Assessment information |
Special Arrangements
| Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Jonathan Hearn
Tel: (0131 6)50 4242
Email: J.Hearn@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Miss Madina Howard
Tel:
Email: Madina.Howard@ed.ac.uk |
|
copyright 2010 The University of Edinburgh -
1 September 2010 6:41 am
|
University Homepage