Politics BA (Hons) degree

This module has three main aims:

• introduces students to academic integrity;
• allows students to development their academic skills for successful study in Politics, International Relations, Philosophy and/or History
• allows students to develop, recognise and better articulate their skills, attributes and self-awareness.

The aims of the module are to explore various aspects of the contemporary world arena, and to consider the importance of different actors and issues; and to identify links between theory and practice in the world arena.

This module provides an introduction to modern European history from c.1750 to the First World War and the major ideological families that have defined, and continue to shape, European political, cultural, and intellectual life. It encourages students to evaluate the impact of the 'dual revolution' on the emergence of the key political ideologies - including liberalism, conservatism, Marxism, and feminism - and to assess the relevance of these ideologies to contemporary politics.

The aims of this module are to introduce students to key concepts and debates in economic and political geography, examine case studies of economic and political change in the global North and global South, familiarise students with writers and texts in economic and political geography.

This module introduces students to the concept of the 'Atlantic World', surveys the early modern history of Africa, the Americas and Western Europe, and explores the key historical themes of this period including race, religion and empire.

The aims of this module are for the student (a) to become familiar with the discipline of sociology through a study of sociological theories and concepts and their application, and (b) to develop a sociological way of thinking.

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications. Languages offered are:  French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.

This module aims to introduce students to a selection of theories, concepts and theorists of International Politics. Students will learn to critically evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and limits of each approach.

This module introduces students to the main currents of world history and to the shifting structure of the international order in the modern period. It aims to cover both the mainstream narratives and those critical of Eurocentrism, thereby stimulating an appreciation of cultural diversity.

This module introduces students to key concepts and theories used in the study of advanced democracies. Taking the United Kingdom as its starting point, it provides an overview of key historical and contemporary debates and draws on quantitative and qualitative research traditions in Comparative Politics.

The aims of this module are to introduce students to key concepts in social and cultural geography, examine case studies of social and cultural change in the global North and global South, and familiarise students with writers and texts in social and cultural geography.

This module aims to give students an opportunity to explore in depth key concepts, approaches and areas of interest in film studies.

This module offers students the opportunity to engage with a wide range of African American cultural production (literary, cinematic and musical) from 1840 to the present day and to explore the complex formal, social and political questions raised by these diverse primary materials.

The aims of the module are to:

• introduce central developments within art and visual culture during the 19th century and up to the present day, mapping these onto historical events, themes, and discourses;
• provide a critical response to canons, concepts, and narratives within modern and contemporary art and visual culture;
• develop key art historical skills such as comparative visual analysis;
• equip students with the skills required to undertake research into historical works of art and visual culture, with a focus on modern and contemporary practice

The aim of this module is to offer a sociological overview to contemporary social issues, from a macro perspective and with a particular focus on their global, social, and cultural dimensions. A running theme throughout the course is to make sense of power struggles, international exchanges and technological advancements that reshape the world, and how they have raised new challenges for social groups and individuals in the XXI century.

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications.  Languages offered are: French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.

The aims of this module are to introduce students to the dominant approaches and their research methods in politics.

The aim of this module is to examine some of the main thinkers in the history of political thought.

The aim of this module is to examine the development of the political thought by looking at key concepts, thinkers and movements in the history of ideas.

This module aims to introduce the students to the study of development and to examine the problem of global socio-economic inequality and its relation to politics.

This module aims to

• develop your understanding of how political and development geographies are both shaping and impacted by globalization
• provide you with the geographical tools necessary to interrogate critically contemporary and historical events as they relate to globalization.

This module aims to develop an understanding of changes in the nature of geographical research about social difference over time.

The overarching aim of this module is to provide an understanding of the frameworks of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) and the formulation and implementation of foreign policy via case studies.

The aim of this module is to examine the concept of security through a range of conceptual and theoretical approaches, especially its 'critical' variants. This is done by examining critical frameworks of security and insecurity, at times contrasting with orthodox and mainstream notions.

The overarching aim of this module is to provide an understanding of the frameworks of Foreign Policy analysis (FPA) and the formulation and implementation of foreign policy via case studies.

This module provides an overview of modern Chinese history, focusing on China's entanglement with the world at large. It will be shown how modern China in cultural, social and economic terms was shaped by external influences and in return made its imprint on the wider world. The module thus provides insights into the development of a rising global power through studying its recent past, while at the same addressing issues of cultural difference.

This module introduces students to debates in the social, political and cultural history of Victorian Britain, with particular emphases on histories of childhood, democratisation, poverty, sex and sexuality, crime and deviance, religion, and race. The course also explores representations of the Victorians since 1901, addressing key historiographical questions about why and how the reputation of the period and its people has undergone constant revision.

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications. Languages offered are:  French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.

The aim of this module is to develop skills in research design, involving selecting of topic and viable research questions, appropriate research methodologies for the research questions selected, sourcing research data and learning how to complete a coherent research proposal.

The aims of this module are to:

• Introduce students to the main institutions of the US government and how they function within the US political system
• Examine the politics and foreign policy of the United States through an analysis of its 20th century history
• Explore how US cultural, social and intellectual history influenced US politics in the 20th century.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to practical politics through the use of role play exercises.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to various aspects of politics and history as depicted within and emanating from the Star Wars films. Students will consider how these depictions can be used as a lens to understand key political concepts and their relationship to contemporary issues, topic and events.

This module offers an introduction to the field of Comparative Political Economy, with a focus on how capitalism and democracy interact and influence one another. It provides an overview of key themes in this research tradition and introduces students to core concepts and debates.

The aim of this module is to take an intersectional perspective to explore how gender relates to politics, both domestic and international. It explores some of the different ways that sex, gender and feminism have been theorized and framed. As well as how gender shapes and impacts upon phenomena in domestic and global politics such as political representation and leadership; rights and citizenship; sexual violence; reproductive justice; social justice and resistance; conflict and terrorism.

This module aims to

• develop your understanding of how economic and cultural geographies are both shaping and impacted by globalization
• provide you with the geographical tools and theories necessary to interrogate critically contemporary and historical events as they relate to globalization.

This module aims to develop an awareness of how social differences interact in a range of ways across space, place and time. This will involve examining processes of social and cultural change in post-colonial societies.

The aims of this module are to introduce students to the women and men whose lives were affected during periods of conflict in the seventeenth century, and the way their legacy lives on. By looking at seventeenth-century journals, diaries and letters we introduce figures whose lives were changed while around them the world was changing. We will also demonstrate how reading seventeenth-century writings alongside twentieth and twenty-first century re-imaginings shows the continuing relevance of this period to the nation's history.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the history of British India from mid-19th c. to the end of colonial period in 1947. The course begins with an introductory overview of colonial history through which to study the Indian sub-continent and goes on to examine major landmarks of this period. It looks at the colonial state's interactions with Indian polity, society and culture to show how imperial subjects came into being, before becoming independent citizens in 1947.

Germany's total defeat in the Second World War and the exposure of the mass murder by Germans of Jews, Slavs, mentally handicapped people and other minorities made 1945 the start of a new period in Germany and European history. More than 70 years later, Germany has become one of the world's stablest democracies and most successful economies. The Federal Republic is an important member of the world's leading military alliance and principal international organizations. This course examines the remarkable transformations in German politics, economics, society and international relations which have taken place since 1945 and assesses their impact on the Germans. It also examines Germany's role in Europe and the world.

This module introduces students to nineteenth and twentieth century African history, and explores the development of African states and nations in the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods. We will address why it has often been difficult for Africans to form successful nation-states and the impact of colonial legacies. The module will situate Africa in the wider global context, but will focus primarily on African experiences and how African peoples have shaped their continent's history.

This module examines the philosophical dimensions of some of the most controversial social and political issues of our time, asking what philosophical reflection can offer to these public policy debates. Precise topics covered will vary year on year. But topics that may be covered include questions such as: What are the limits of free speech? Can political violence ever be legitimate? What justifies punishing a wrong-doer? Should hate speech be prohibited? What is our legitimate relationship to animals? How might we legislate on a women's rights as far as birth is concerned?

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications. Languages offered are:  French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.

The aim of the module is to enable students to undertake an extensive piece of research on a topic of their choice in the field of their degree title, and to further develop their skills in research techniques and methods.

This Module explores the various vectors of international politics in the Asia-Pacific; and locates this dynamic region within the larger framework of global politics. Students are expected to demonstrate an appreciation of the web of interactions in the Asia-Pacific at the end of the module. Topics include political geography, diplomatic relations, international political economy, and identity politics in East Asia.

The aims of this module are to:

• outline and discuss important themes in contemporary political philosophy by encouraging reflection on a number of common basic assumptions and intuitions about the nature of politics, the responsibilities of social and political institutions and the principles upon which ideas about politics are founded;
• encourage you to tackle some of the most profound and enduring questions facing citizens and policy makers in liberal democratic states and to evaluate the various ways in which different philosophical traditions have approached these issues.

This module examines the ethical (including moral, social, and political) dimensions of environmental thought, broadly construed to encompass a range of questions about human relationships with plants, animals, ecosystems, the climate, and the wider nonhuman world. Ethico-political frameworks explored might include ecologism, animal rights, biocentrism, and similar. Practical normative questions explored might include the ethics of diets and food systems; the political inclusion of animals; the question of who is responsible for putting right environmental harm; species conservation; green militarization; and green democracy.

This module introduces students to the nature, causes, types, and threat of terrorism, and the ways in which this threat is countered.

Drawing on contemporary examples, the central aim of this module is for students to examine the strategies different social groups adopt in order to make a living in uncertain economic times.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide a detailed understanding of the principles and methodologies of scholarly editing, with specific focus on their application in the digital age.
• To study the transmission history of literary works: their production, publication and reception.
• To acquire the requisite critical and digital skills needed to represent, contextualize and disseminate a text in digital form.

This module examines the extent to which Britain underwent a 'cultural revolution' in the 1960s. It weighs different historical interpretations of the period with an in-depth case study of how the Beatles fed and fed off changes in class, gender, sexual, generational, national and political identities in 1960s Britain. Assignments asks students to relate cultural artefacts to key debates about the decade.

This module offers students an opportunity to explore in depth how American culture engaged with the nation's modernisation from the end of the Civil War to the point of US entry into World War 2.

This module introduces students to main themes and perspectives within the sociology of gender, with an emphasis on contemporary analyses of feminism and how our are lives are gendered within different social contexts. Students will engage with theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses.

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications. Languages offered are:  French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.

This module aims to a) give students a sound grounding in leading strands of feminist philosophy; and b) to allow students to be able to position themselves within these debates. It will do this by focusing on texts and debates: students will read texts in preparation for the class sessions, and will be encouraged to critique, compare, contrast, engage and position themselves in relation to the writings under consideration.

The aim of the module is to explore anarchism in the history of ideas and contemporary politics and to assess the purchase of anarchist approaches and ideas through student-led development of an open syllabus.

 The aim of the module is to provide students with an advanced understanding of the nature of contemporary war. Students will understand and explain changes in the character of conflict. Issues such as technology on the conduct of war as well as climate change provide a new appreciation of how States fight.

The course aims to introduce the students to international conflict management and to foster critical thinking about international interventions aimed at stopping violent conflicts.

The aim of this module is to develop an understanding of new and emerging security threats in the 21st Century. It explores some of the different ways these threats are understood, how they are being responded to and their implications for the politics of security.

The aims of this module are to:

• outline the concepts and typologies related to the study of transnational mobilities, transnationalism and diaspora;
• analyse the nature and geographies of transnational mobilities, transnationalism and diaspora using a theoretical and a contextualised case study approach;
• evaluate the outcomes of transnational mobilities and diasporic networks.

This module examines the role played by the Soviet and post-Soviet security and intelligence agencies in the history of the Soviet regime and its satellites from the Russian Revolution of 1917 to the present day. The history of Communism is a key part of the history of the twentieth century; the Soviet Union's security and intelligence agencies played a key role in the history of Communism. The twentieth century was the most calamitously bloody century in mankind's history; the Soviet Union's security services, and those set up in their image, bear of a large share of the responsibility for that.

This course examines the emergence, evolution and contemporary existence of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal) since 1945. It explores the moments of incorporation, trajectories of development and marginal spaces, apart from the mainstream of South Asia today.

The aim of this module is to enable students to examine concepts of 'race' and racism from a sociological-historical perspective and to critically reflect on 'race' as a major category of social inequality and identity in our Contemporary World. The module encourages students to explore the social construction and applications of the idea of race in the development of Western society , and identify intersectionalities between race and other categories of social inclusion and exclusion in Modern Society.

This module offers an overview of possible ways to understand poverty, pay, and living standards as well as the conceptual and empirical associations between them.

This module aims to:

• Introduce some of the main approaches to conceptualise and measure poverty and living standards;
• Assess the relationship between income, salary, wages, and poverty;
• Consider the role of social policy in addressing poverty and improving living standards.

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications. Languages offered are:  French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.