Contemporary Public Debate in an Age of 'Anti-Politics'
| Module title | Contemporary Public Debate in an Age of 'Anti-Politics' |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL2079 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Bice Maiguashca (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
Political commentators and academics have noted growing disinterest and even antipathy towards mainstream politics today. For some this is part of a crisis of democratic representation and widespread discontentment with established parties and elites. Others point to the ‘stylisation’ or ‘mediatisation’ of the political, the simplification of political discourse and the sound bite solutions that go along with it. Still others suggest that democratic political debate has given way to a stifling consensus politics that never treads far from the centre. This module reflects on this political state of affairs by focusing on the ways in which knowledge (or what passes for knowledge) about politics is constructed, articulated, reproduced and justified in the public sphere. Who are the key knowledge producers of today (the media? politicians? economists? scientific experts? we the public?)? How are claims to truth and/or ‘facts’ constructed and presented? Why do certain claims gain traction while others don’t? What can we do, if anything, to resist prevailing political narratives we find problematic/dangerous/frustrating either because they are unjustifiable, epistemologically, or because we have normative concerns about their political consequences? To help answer such questions in the first part of the course you will explore theories of contemporary politics and democracy, including different approaches to thinking about knowledge and the public sphere. In the second part of the course you will engage withcase studies such as the recent debates about the private vs. public sector, the role of Islam in galvanising terror, the putative abuse of the welfare system, debates about the need for action on climate change and the rights and wrongs of gay marriage, to name a few.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide you with a critical understanding of the ways in which public debate, and the knowledge claims produced therein, shape (or not) democratic politics in Britain. More concretely, you will explore debates about the mediatisation of politics, the politics of knowledge production, and the ideas and practices underlying contemporary modes of representation in the public sphere/civil society. In all cases, we you shall engage in both theoretical and empirical analysis.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate awareness of key ideas and concepts in the study of contemporary democracy and the public sphere
- 2. develop, articulate and justify your own theoretically informed ethical and political responses to key issues of contemporary debate
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. examine, critique and analyse both the theoretical and empirical concepts/resources mobilised in debates about the mediatisation of politics, the politics of knowledge production, and the ideas and practices underlying contemporary modes of representation in the public sphere/civil society
- 4. develop coherent and theoretically informed analyses of several contemporary issues of public contention
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. collect, analyse and evaluate relevant secondary and primary sources
- 6. communicate effectively and accurately, orally and in writing demonstrate critical-thinking and effective communication in speech and writing
- 7. work independently and with peers to meet common research and assessment deadlines effectively
- 8. work independently, within a limited time frame, to complete a specified task
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
1. Theorising the ‘Age of Anti-politics’ :
- Defining the public sphere
- The politics of representation and the media
- The political economy of the media
- The ‘mediatisation’ or ‘stylization’ of democratic politics
- The rise of populism
2.Theorising Knowledge and the Public Sphere
- Exploring Marxist, liberal and feminist perspectives on the sources and types of knowledge and its role in politics
- Examining the role of experts and expertise in political debate
3. Case Studies
Students can choose to research and present one of the following possible topics:
- The politics of climate change
- Austerity vs. anti-austerity
- Public vs private debate regarding the NHS
- Gender Pay Gap
- The benefits and dangers of immigration
- Same-sex marriage
- Renewal of the Trident Missile System
- Membership of the EU and the EU referendum
- Islam and terrorism
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 27.5 | 122.5 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 27.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures and 11 x 1 seminars |
| Guided independent study | 122.5 | Independent study guided by module leader to include: Reading and seminar preparation (60 hours); Research, analysis and compilation of presentation (10 hours); Preparation and completion of essay (25 hours); Preparation and completion of time limited essay (25 hours); Following module-related political news events (3 hours). |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay outline | 1 page | 1-7 | Verbal |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 50 | 25 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 25 | 1000 words | 1-7 | Written comments |
| Take home examination | 50 | 1 week, 2000 words | 1-8 | Written comments |
| Group presentation | 25 | 20 minutes per group | 1-7 | Oral/written feedback |
| 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 (1000 words) | 1-7 | August/ September re-assessment period |
| Take home examination | Take home examination (1 week, 2000 words) | 1-8 | August/ September re-assessment period |
| Group presentation | Written report covering the topic of presentation to be discussed with module leader (1,500 words) | 1-7 | August/ September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Daase, Christopher Caroline Fehl, Anna Geis and Georgios Kolliarakis (eds.) (2015) Recognition in International Relations,[Online] Available at: http://0-www.palgraveconnect.com.lib.exeter.ac.uk/pc/doifinder/10.1057/9781137464729.0006. (Accessed: 6 January 2016).
Dobson, Andrew (2014) Listening for Democracy: Recognition, Representation, Reconciliation, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Drake, Michael S. (2010) Political Sociology for a Globalizing World , Cambridge: Polity Press.
Dryzek, John, S. (2006) Deliberative Global Politics. Discourse and Democracy in a Divided World , Cambridge: Polity.
Fraser, Nancy and Kate Nash (2014) Transnationalizing the Public Sphere , Cambridge: Polity.
Hardy, Jonathan (2014) Critical Political Economy of the Media. An Introduction, Abingdon: Routledge
Herman, Edward & Noam Chomsky, (2008) Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media , New York: Verso Press.
Saward, Michael (2010) The representative claim , Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Akkerman, Tjitske. (2003) ‘Populism and Democracy: Challenge or Pathology?’ Acta Politica 38 (2), pp. 147-159.
Bale, Tim, Van Kessel, Stijn and Taggart, Paul. (2011) ‘Thrown around with abandon? Popular understandings of populism as conveyed by the print media: a UK case study’, Acta Politica, 46 (2). pp. 111-131
Hall, Stuart. 2006 [1981]. ‘Notes on Deconstructing “the Popular,”’ in Storey, John (ed). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader. Harlow: Pearson.
Hay, Colin (2007). Why we Hate Politics. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Jones, Owen (2014) The Establishment: and how they get away with it, London: Allen Lane.
Moffitt, Benjamin and Tormey, Simon. (2014) ‘Rethinking Populism: Politics, Mediatisation and Political Style’, Political Studies 62(2): 381-397.
Dean, Jonathan (2014b). ‘Tales of the Apolitical’. Political Studies 62 (2), 452-467.
Flinders, Matthew. (2012). Defending Politics: Why Democracy Matters in the 21st Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Painter, Anthony. (2013) Democratic Stress, the Populist Signal and Extremist Threat: A Call for Mainstream Statecraft and Contact Democracy. London: Policy Network.
Street, John. (2004) ‘Celebrity Politicians: Popular Culture and Political Representation’, British Journal of Political Science and International Relations Vol. 6, No. 4, 435-452.
Mair, Peter. (2013). Ruling the Void: The Hollowing of Western Democracy
Bobbio, N. (1996) Left and Right: The Importance of a Political Distinction. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
vle.exeter.ac.uk
| 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 | 07/01/2016 |
| Last revision date | 26/01/2022 |
