Political Behaviour across Generations and the Life Course
| Module title | Political Behaviour across Generations and the Life Course |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC2130 |
| 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) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
Democracy depends on an engaged and active citizenry, prepared to hold elites to account and promote their interests. Yet recent trends in electoral participation show successive generations are becoming increasingly unlikely to vote or interact with political parties. At the same time, the growth of protest politics raises questions about whether young people are disengaging from democracy or driving the evolution of democratic participation. This module therefore introduces you to the study of political behaviour, how it is shaped by political socialisation and the political life cycle, and its evolution across political generations. This module will also consider debates about the implications of this evolution for inequalities in political representation and the future health of democracy. Finally, you will also consider the effectiveness of policy measures intended to reduce inequalities in political participation.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to equip youwith the conceptual and theoretical knowledge to understand the importance of political participation in democratic society, how habits of political participation are formed, why they differ between generations, how they are affected by the political life cycle, and what the consequences of inequalities in political activity are for the representation of individuals and the health of democratic society. This module will also develop your ability to critically evaluate academic evidence – through application of theories, concepts and data - regarding the evolution of political behaviour and its consequences. Finally, this module will give you the opportunity to use academic theories and conceptual tools to evaluate the effectiveness of policies intended to reduce inequalities in political representation, and to propose new solutions.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role of political participation in democracy and its evolution
- 2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of processes driving political change connected to political socialisation and the political life cycle
- 3. Review debates, arguments and evidence regarding the evolution of political participation and its impact on democracy, and relating to policies intended to affect inequalities in political representation
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate awareness of data, theories and concepts underpinning academic arguments
- 5. Independently gather, evaluate and utilise data, arguments and concepts from academic and grey literature
- 6. Use academic theories and debates to evaluate and inform public debate and policy initiatives
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Develop and articulate an argument based on independent research and critical evaluation
- 8. Communicate arguments, data, theories and concepts both verbally and in writing
- 9. Work independently and with peers to achieve goals
Syllabus plan
While precise content will vary from year to year, the teaching activity will include lectures and seminar activities based on the following topics:
- What is ‘political’? Defining and measuring ‘political participation’
- Learning to be political? Political socialisation
- Political participation across generations
- Political participation across the life cycle
- Political participation in the here and now: the role of context
- Generational trends in political participation: Civic decline vs. Democratic Phoenix
- Reducing inequalities in political participation
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 20 | 10 x 2 hour seminar |
| Guided independent study | 67 | Private study, reading and preparing for seminars (approx. 6 hours per seminar) |
| Guided independent study | 25 | Researching and writing critical journal article comparison |
| Guided independent study | 35 | Researching and writing essay |
| Guided independent study | 3 | Receiving and reflecting on feedback |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay Plan | 250 words | 1-9 | Written feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical journal article comparison | 40 | 1250 words | 3-5, 7-9 | Written & oral feedback in class |
| Essay | 60 | 2000 words | 1-9 | Written & oral feedback in class |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical journal article comparison (1250 words) | Critical journal article comparison (1250 words) | 3-5, 7-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Essay (2000 words) | Essay (2000 words) | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral 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 submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Fox, S. (2014) ‘Is it time to Update the Definition of Political Participation?’, Parliamentary Affairs, 67(2): 495-505
Pattie, C., Seyd, P., Whiteley, P. (2003) ‘Citizenship and Civic Engagement: Attitudes and Behaviour in Britain’, Political Studies, 51(3): 443-468
Pattie, C., Seyd, P., Whiteley, P. (2004) Citizenship in Britain: values, participation and democracy, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Verba, S., Brady, H.E., Schlozman, K.L. (1995) Voice and Equality: civic voluntarism in American politics, Cambridge, Mass: Havard University Press
Fox, S., Pearce, S. (2018) ‘The generational decay of Euroscepticism in the UK and the EU Referendum’, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 28(1): 19-37
Grasso, M.T. (2014) ‘Age, period and cohort analysis in a comparative context: Political generations and political participation repertoires in Western Europe’, Electoral Studies, 33: 63-76
Whiteley, P. (2012) Political Participation in Britain: The Decline and Revival of Civic Culture, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Dalton, R. (2021) ‘Political Action, Protest and the Functioning of Democratic Governance’, American Behavioural Scientist, available at https://doi.org/10.1177%2F00027642211021624
Norris, P. (2012) Democratic Deficit: Critical Citizens Revisited, Cambridge, Mass: Havard University Press
Boulianne, S., Theocharis, Y. (2020) ‘Young People, Digital Media and Engagement: A Meta-analysis of Research’, Social Science Computer Review, 38(2)
Pickard, S. (2019) ‘Young Environmental Activists are Doing it Themselves’, Political Insight, 10(4): 4-7
Martin, A. (2012) Young People and Politics: Political Engagement in the Anglo-American Democracies, London: Routledge
Folkes, A., (2004) ‘The case for votes at 16’, Representation, 41(1): 52-56 AND Cowley, P., Denver, D. (2004) ‘Votes at 16? The case against’, Representation, 41(1): 57-62
| 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 | 01/11/2022 |
| Last revision date | 14/11/2022 |
