Participating in Politics
| Module title | Participating in Politics |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC1023 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Stuart Fox (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
Political participation is crucial for the healthy functioning of democracies. Yet political participation is changing: political party membership in western democracies has been declining (although the Labour Party in Britain is an important exception) at the same time as electoral participation has generally waned. As participation in electoral politics has tailed off, newer forms of political engagement such as engaging in protests and signing petitions have appeared to be on the rise. This alleged trend in which unconventional political participation is seen as a replacement for conventional (electoral) participation is known as the ‘Democratic Phoenix’ (Norris 2001). In this module, you will examine trends in political participation in western democracies to assess the Democratic Phoenix theory. You will critically assess whether it is true that non-conventional political participation has come to surpass electoral participation. You will engage in at least two acts of political participation and evaluate the efficacy of your actions using knowledge and concepts gained in lectures and seminars.
No prior knowledge, skills or experience are required to take this module and it is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students. This module serves as a complement to: 'British Government and Politics’ (POC1003) and ‘The Public Policy Process’ (POC1014).
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module provides a clear and inspiring introduction to different types of political participation in democratic countries. The module will enable you to reflect critically and creatively on the idea of a democratic phoenix, which purports that we do not need to worry about disengagement from politics – people are simply engaging in different ways. It will introduce you to the main ways of engaging in politics, and illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of political participation.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. analyse and understand the channels open for citizens to participate in politics in democratic countries
- 2. understand, evaluate and apply a range of concepts and theories about political participation to understand how and why political participation varies cross countries;
- 3. appreciate the efficacy of different types of political participation for achieving social or policy change;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. identify and discuss core political concepts around political participation;
- 5. understand how survey evidence is (mis)used in the study of political participation;
- 6. identify and evaluate value of academic literature for completing academic research & scholarly reflections
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. apply scholarly reflections to own political participation;
- 8. communicate effectively in your written and oral work.
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:
- Defining political participation and its place in a democracy
- Electoral / party participation
- Lobbying / contacting an MP
- Petitions: on- and off-line
- Wearing badges / ribbons
- Legal demonstrations
- Radical actions (occupations, sit-ins)
- Strikes
- Youth engagement
- Boycotts / buycotts
- Civic engagement / voluntary organisations
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 125 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 15 | 10 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 85 | Private study. 8.5 hours preparing for each seminar (x10) |
| Guided Independent Study | 21.5 | Engaging in political actions and writing scholarly reflections |
| Guided Independent Study | 18.5 | Preparing annotated bibliography |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan of scholarly reflection | 250 words | 1-8 | Written, verbal on request |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarly reflections on two types of political participation engaged in during the course | 70 | 2,000 words | 1-8 | Written, verbal on request |
| Annotated bibliography | 30 | 1,000 words | 2-5, 6, 8 | Written, verbal on request |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarly reflections | Scholarly reflections (2,000 words) | 1-8 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Annotated bibliography | 1,000 words | 2-5, 6, 8 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Dalton, R. (2007) Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies, Washington DC: CQ Press.
Gallego, A. (2015) Unequal Political Participation Worldwide, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Meredith, R. (2012) Voter Turnout: A Social Theory of Political Participation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Norris, P. (2002) Democratic Phoenix: Reinventing Political Activism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pattie,C., P. Seyd and P. Whiteley (2004) Citizenship in Britain: Values, Participation and Democracy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Uldam, J and A. Vestergaard (eds) (2015) Civic Engagement and Social Media; Political Participation Beyond the Protest, Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan.
Whiteley, P. (2012) Political Participation in Britain and the Decline and Revival of Civic Culture, Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan.
Zukin, C. et al (2006) A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life and the Changing American. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 11/01/2017 |
| Last revision date | 15/02/2023 |
