Undergraduate Course: Contemporary Issues in Political Science (PLIT10104)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Contemporary Issues in Political Science takes a recent topic one emerging in the news or in the academic literature, and provides students with the tools to situate it within the larger academic literature, the political context and methods of analysis. |
| Course description |
The substantive content of this course changes each year depending on topical issues and will be taught by experts on the issue itself or on particular approaches/methods from amongst permanent and postdoctoral staff. Students will learn substantive information about the topic itself but perhaps more importantly they will acquire the generic skills to analyse any phenomenon: how to place it within a larger context, where to look for information about context, the types of variables (whether social, economic, cultural, or political) to consider when analysing the phenomenon, how to identify wider theories and concepts to analyse the phenomenon and how to acquire evidence that would support one theoretical interpretation over another.
2019-20 topic - European Politics and Policymaking after Brexit
Brexit has had seismic effects on European politics and policy-making and the British
decision to leave the EU provides the context for thinking about the direction the Union will
take in the coming years. This course analyses contemporary issues and debates in
European and EU policymaking within the context of the Brexit vote. The aim of the course
is both to understand Brexit (its effects and causes) from a European perspective as well as
to consider how British withdrawal affects ongoing debates in European politics and policymaking. The first half of the course examines the European context of Brexit, including the
relevant role of British and European factors in the vote, the immediate consequences for
both sides, reactions to Brexit in Brussels and EU capitals, and the conduct of the initial
negotiations between both sides over the terms of withdrawal. The second half of the
course looks at how Brexit has affected current issues and challenges in European politics,
examining the balance of power between the institutions, changing roles and coalitions of
member states, the growth of populism and the decline of traditional parties, and the move
towards a more robust EU security and defence role.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course is only available to senior honours students on a Politics or International Relations (including joint honours) degree programme. |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2019/20, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 30 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
90 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed by:
Research Paper (Personality Profile) (60%)
Short Paper (Article Evaluation Paper) (30%)
Presentation and Participation (Chapter Presentation (Week 2) and Lab Preparation (Week 8) (10%)
|
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on their written coursework. Feedback on their Short Paper will be designed to help improve the quality of their Research Paper. Students will be provided face-to-face feedback on their seminar participation. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Students will be able to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of contemporary debates on the chosen event, from both a theoretical and empirical perspective
- Students will have specialist in-depth knowledge of specific areas and issues in relation to the chosen event
- Students will be able to critically engage with key explanatory theories, concepts, institutions and issues in the study of the chosen event
- Students will be able to deploy and justify the use of case studies to deepen our understanding of political science
- Students will be able to engage in critical thinking, reflection and debate for academic and non-academic consumption.
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking and analysis
Teamwork
Effective written and verbal communication
Effective research and analytical skills
|
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Benjamin Martill
Tel: (0131 6)51 1736
Email: benjamin.martill@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Euan Morse
Tel: 0131 (6)51 1137
Email: emorse@ed.ac.uk |
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