The Politics of Social Justice
| Module title | The Politics of Social Justice |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL2099 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Sarah Lucas (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
This module will cover radical themes in critical theory and in political action. We will look at topics like Marxism, feminism, critical race theory, queer theory, technology and environmentalism. We will engage with several important authors in the critical tradition, including Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, and Walter Benjamin as well as more contemporary critical theorists like Charles Mills, John Dryzek, bell hooks, and Gayatri Spivak. Our guiding questions will be: What makes an approach to social justice radical? What is ‘progressive’ about progressive politics? What differentiates critical theory from normative political theory? What are the connections between radical political theory and political change?
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module will begin with a discussion of the importance of radical and critical philosophy, which serves to examine and question the “root” assumptions of political thought, rather than to offer a normative account of how we should live. Critical approaches to social justice emphasize deeply problematic norms, habits, structures, and beliefs already established in society and maintain that the identification and articulation of these problems is the essential task for a politics of social justice. The primary intention of this module, then, is to encourage you to think critically in the face of social injustice. To ask questions like: Who is benefitting from this injustice? What are the basic assumptions at work that allow this injustice to continue? Whose voices are privileged in conversations about this injustice? Whose voices are silenced or left out?
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the historical and philosophical underpinnings of a prominent political phenomenon.
- 2. Critically evaluate different understandings of social justice.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Perform close readings and analysis of complex theoretical texts.
- 4. Articulate complex theoretical concepts and apply these to practical political problems.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Engage in conversations with others about complex political problems.
- 6. Write a well-organized and well-argued essay defending a single argument.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the
syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction to Critical Social Theory
- Class: From Marxism to Neoliberalism
- Critical Race Theory
- Feminism as Critical Theory
- Queer Theory
- Anarchism and the State
- Political Art and Activism
- Technology
- Environmentalism
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 45 | Preparing for seminars: reading and research. |
| Guided Independent Study | 83 | Completing assessment tasks: reading, research, and writing. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socratic Method | 20 minutes | 1-6 | Verbal Comments |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Journal | 30 | 1,500 words | 1-6 | Written Comments |
| Essay 1 | 30 | 1,000 words | 1-6 | Written Comments |
| Essay 2 | 40 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written Comments |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 1,500 textual commentary | 1-6 | August/September Assessment Period |
| Essay 2 | 2,000 word essay | 1-6 | August/September Assessment Period |
| Learning Journal | Learning Journal | 1-6 | Term 3 |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Immanuel Kant (1784) “What is Enlightenment”
Karl Marx and Frederick Engels (1848) The Communist Manifesto
Charles Mills (2003) From Class to Race
Fredric Jameson (1991) The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism
Gayatri Spivak (2008) Can the Subaltern Speak?
Iris Marion Young (2011) Responsibility for Justice
bell hooks (1984) Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
Annamarie Jagose (1997) Queer Theory: An Introduction
Michel Foucault (1976) The History of Sexuality
James C. Scott (2014) Two Cheers for Anarchism
Chantal Mouffe (2013) Agonistics: Thinking the World Politically
Walter Benjamin (1936) The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Donna Haraway (1984) A Cyborg Manifesto
John Dryzek (1997) The Politics of the Earth
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 22/06/2017 |