Undergraduate Course: Contemporary Issues in Political Theory (PLIT10107)
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 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Contemporary Issues in Political Theory takes a recent topic, one emerging in the news or in the academic literature, and provides students with the tools to identify the normative issues it raises and to analyse these using rigorous methods of political theory. |
| Course description |
This courses poses the question "what is 'solidarity'", and gives students the tools to begin answering it. It is important to pose this question now, when appeals to "solidarity" proliferate among politicians, public health officials, and the press. The standard pictures of solidarity emerge from frameworks such as nationalist-communitarianism or liberal-internationalism. But these pictures contrast sharply with ways of seeing solidarity typical of transnational and global social movements. Engaged citizens and activists continue to contest local injustices rooted in global structures of European colonialism and the legacies of informal imperialism: from the so-called Mediterranean "refugee crisis" to state-corporate invasion of indigenous territory at Standing Rock or Unist'o'ten. From this perspective, the rhetorical performance of a "crisis of solidarity" occludes the vibrant history and present of more radical, transformative practices of solidarity. This practical dilemma is mirrored in contemporary political theory, where precisely a transnational and grounded perspective on solidarity is lacking. This course will thus approach its question by thinking about the theory and practice of solidarity, alongside reflection on the importance of histories of freedom, oppression, and resistance in the formation of contemporary solidarities. This approach allows us to ground theoretical accounts of solidarity in the global history of political thought, and to clarify solidarity's contribution to contemporary political theory and practice.
|
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 4 Politics/International Relations courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Section for admission to this course **
|
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Seminar Participation: 20%
Reading Reflections: 10%, 1,000 words max (cumulative)
Long essay: 70%, 2,500 words max
Students will be asked to write an academic essay from a list of pre-assigned topics, or on a topic of their own choice with the prior approval of the course convenor.
|
| Feedback |
Students will be offered advice and feedback on their workplans/outlines in preparation for the essay, which they may obtain on request. This feedback and guidance will be provided during the course convenors weekly office hours and by appointment. Students will be given feedback on the essay, which will be due in week 7 and feedback will be given on essay plans submitted 1-2 weeks in advance. Feedback on tutorial participation will be provided through an individual Tutorial Participation feedback sheet, which will be given to the students after the final tutorial. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Students will be able to demonstrate empirically-informed understanding of contemporary debates on the chosen topic from a relevant range of normative perspectives
- Students will have specialist in-depth knowledge of specific areas and issues in relation to the chosen topic
- Students will be able to critically engage with key theories, concepts, and arguments in the study of the chosen normative issue.
- Students will acquire effective communications skills, both written and verbal, to provide clear and concise analysis of the topic and arguments at hand
- 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
Team work
Effective written and verbal communication
Effective research and analytical skills
|
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jared Holley
Tel:
Email: jholley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
|
|
University Homepage