Political Analysis

Module title	Political Analysis
Module code	POC2124
Academic year	2024/5
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Stuart Fox (Lecturer)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		10

Number students taking module (anticipated)	80

Module description

This module will introduce you to political analysis in order to prepare you for your dissertation in third year. You will engage with a range of theories and approaches to the study of Politics and International Relations. You will be challenged to reflect on the assumptions that underpin various analytical lenses, which in turn shape the questions that can be asked and answered. As experts in their field, staff will offer political issues to be analysed and work through a number of different approaches and methods, using real world examples of research on that issue. Through the module you will be guided on choosing a suitable topic for your dissertation, conducting a literature review, generating your own focussed research questions, and designing an independent research project.

Module aims - intentions of the module

To introduce undergraduate students to key political theories, approaches and debates in political science.

To familiarise students with core concepts and methods for the analysis of politics and international relations.

To enable students to understand and conduct political analysis of contemporary social and political issues.

To provide students with analytical skills with which to design their own political research

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. demonstrate an understanding of key theories and approaches of political analysis and the capacity to critically engage and evaluate political research;
2. demonstrate an understanding of core concepts in political analysis and be aware of their ontological and epistemological assumptions;
3. apply theories and methods of political analysis to design political research.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. demonstrate ability to define complex political problems, identify their significance and select appropriate approaches for investigating and critically evaluating them;
5. demonstrate knowledge of political concepts and their contextual/social/political implications;
6. demonstrate ability to apply knowledge to a political problem/ case study;
7. demonstrate ability to select, integrate and present coherently and reflectively, orally and in writing, relevant political/theoretical arguments.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

8. communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately, orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the discipline/ different contexts;
9. demonstrate ability to manage relevant learning resources/ information/ learning strategies and to develop own arguments and opinions with minimum guidance;
10. demonstrate ability to work independently and to manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities, exercises and assessment including identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of library-based and electronic resources with minimum guidance.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover at least some of the following topics:

Understanding foundational concepts: What is the Political in Political Analysis?
Social science debates between epistemological paradigms
Feminist, Queer and Decolonising methodologies
Choosing a suitable topic for political analysis
Writing a Literature Review
Designing a research proposal

Introduction to a range of tools and methods including document analysis, discourse analysis, archival research, textual and visual analysis

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
26	124	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	20	10 x 2 hour weekly interactive workshops
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	6	3 x 2 hour small group assessment seminars
Guided Independent study	40	Preparation for seminars
Guided Independent study	84	Completion of coursework

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Critical review	750 word equivalent	1-10	Written

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
Dissertation proposal	50	1,500 words	1-10	Written Feedback
Critical review	50	1,500 words	1-10	Written Feedback
	0
	0
	0
	0

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
Dissertation proposal (1,500 words)	1,500 words dissertation proposal	1-10	August/September reassessment period
Critical review (1,500 words)	1,500 words critical review	1-10	August/September reassessment period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Indicative Basic reading:

Ackerly, Brooke A., Maria Stern, and Jacqui True, eds. Feminist methodologies for international relations. Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Aradau, Claudia, et al. Critical security methods: New frameworks for analysis. Routledge, 2014.

Donatella della Porta, Keating Michael, Approaches and Methodologies in Political Science, CUP, 2008.

Halperin Sandra, Heath Oliver, Political Research: Methods and Practical Skills, OUP, 2016.

Jackson, Patrick Thaddeus. The conduct of inquiry in international relations: philosophy of science and its implications for the study of world politics. Routledge, 2010.

Kellstedt Paul, The Fundamentals of Political Science Research, CUP, 2013.

King Gary, Keohane Robert, Verba Sidney, Designing Social Inquiry, PUP, 1994.

Klotz, Audie, and Deepa Prakash, eds. Qualitative methods in international relations. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.

Lamont, Christopher. Research methods in international relations. Sage, 2015.

Lebow, Richard Ned. Constructing Cause in International Relations. Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Rech, Matthew F., et al. "An Introduction to Military Research Methods." The Routledge Companion to Military Research Methods (2016)

Salter, Mark and Can Mutlu (eds). Research Methods in Critical Security Studies. Routledge, 2012.

Shepherd, Laura J. (ed) Critical Approaches to Security, Routledge, 2012.

Toshkov Dimiter, Research Design in Political Science, Palgrave, 2016.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
Kanopy;
podcasts;
blogs and vlogs;
cultural productions (songs; music videos; films; performances);
policy briefs;
annual reports from selected international organizations

Key words search

Politics, political analysis, philosophy of social science, power, agency

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	Yes
Origin date	17/10/2019
Last revision date	10/02/2023