Rethinking the Politics of Communities
| Module title | Rethinking the Politics of Communities |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3194 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Robin Durie (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Throughout much of the history of political thought, “community” has been a peripheral concept. In more recent times, however, it has come to occupy a central role in both political theory and public policy. In the first half of this module you will trace the development of the concept of community through the history of political theory, focusing in particular on how and why the concept of community takes centre stage in current communitarian thinking. In the second half, you will look at how the concept of community has been radicalised in recent European thought, before considering a series of case studies in the contemporary politics of communities.
No prior knowledge of the history of political thought is required for this module.
This module is suitable for both specialist and non-specialist students.
This module is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will:
- Familiarise you with the history of critical perspectives on the political theory of communities
- Introduce you to a series of ways in which the theory of communities has been radicalised in recent political theory
- Introduce you by way of a series of case studies to concrete examples of how the concept of community is functioning in contemporary political practices
- Reflect on the role the concept of community is likely to play in future developments of political theory
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Articulate what is distinctively political about the concept of community
- 2. Identify and critically evaluate one or more case studies of how theory and/or practice of community is informing contemporary political activities
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Deploy political theory to assess the significance and import of contemporary theorising of community for politics and public/social policy
- 4. Evaluate the relative insightfulness of competing theoretical interpretations of political phenomena
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Engage in constructive peer-evaluation
- 6. Work effectively in collaboration with peers
Syllabus plan
The sequence of seminars may vary from year to year. However, key themes will include:
- The history of the political thought of community (Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Hegel, Marx, Tönnies)
- The emergence of the theory of community in recent communitarian thinking (Dewey, Taylor, Sandel; Etzioni, Putnam)
- The radicalisation of the theory of community in recent European political theory (Bataille, Nancy, Blanchot, Agamben, Bauman)
- Case studies of community in contemporary political practice, based on the module convenors own community engaged research (multiculturalism, protest, resistance; virtual communities; asset based community development; engaging communities; performing communities)
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 42 | 22x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 256 | 148hrs seminar preparation, 60hrs research, 48hrs course work |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 500 words | 1-6 | Peer view, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 40 | 2,500 words | 1-4 | Written comments |
| Case study research project | 60 | 4,500 words | 1-6 | Written comments |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,500 words) | 1-4 | August/September reassessment period |
| Case study research project | Case study research project (4500 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
The majority of the reading will be made available online via the ELE page for the module.
Plato (2005) Republic, Book 2. Cambridge University Press.
Aristotle (1996) Politics, Book 1. Cambridge University Press.
Thomas Hobbes (2007) Leviathan, Chapters 13-15, & 17. Cambridge University Press.
G.W.F. Hegel (1967) Philosophy of Right, §§182-206 & 241-258. Oxford University Press.
F. Tönnies (2001) Community and Civil Society, Section 1. Cambridge University Press.
John Dewey (1954) The Public and its Problems, Chapter 6. Ohio University Press.
Charles Taylor (1985) “Atomism”. Philosophical Papers 2. Cambridge University Press.
Robert Putnam (1999) Bowling Alone. Simon & Schuster.
Jean-Luc Nancy (1991) The Inoperative Community. University of Minnesota Press.
Maurice Blanchot (1988) The Unavowable Community. Station Hill Press.
Giorgio Agamben (1993) The Coming Community. University of Minnesota Press.
Zygmunt Bauman (2001) Community. Polity Press.
Roberto Esposito (2010) Communitas: The Origin & Destiny of Community. Stanford University Press.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Video & audio recordings relating to case studies.
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 12/05/2015 |
| Last revision date | 15/03/2022 |
