POLI100: Politics in the Modern World

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year course
  • Michaelmas Term only
  • Lent / Summer Terms only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a course that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the course.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year course - 10 Semester Credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 5 Semester Credits
  • Lent / Summer Terms only - 5 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year course - 20 ECTS Credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 10 ECTS Credits
  • Lent / Summer Terms only - 10 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

The course is divided into two main sections. In the first term students are introduced to the principles, practice and institutions of ‘liberal democracy’. Liberal democracy is the political and economic order that for many years has characterised life in ‘the West’. We begin the course by looking at the foundations of the liberal state, liberty and democracy, and examine their meaning, value and compatibility. We then explore two states that exemplify those principles (the UK and USA). Finally we will survey some of the institutions of liberal democracy which work within and beyond the state level (such as the European Union and the United Nations).

The second term concentrates on the international system. First we look at different ways of understanding the world of states, a field of study known as International Relations. We then look at the application of these IR theories to the non-Western world, in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We will explore the complex and challenging role that the USA has on the current world political stage, and take a survey of some contemporary issues in politics.

The course concludes in the third term where we will build upon all of the material covered in the course to consider instances of global crisis.

Educational Aims

This course aims to introduce students to some of the key concerns of politics and international relations, introducing some of the core issues that will be pursued throughout the degree in the department. The aim of the course is to provide students with the foundation, both in terms of study skills and intellectual background, that will enable students to grasp the 'bigger picture' of the subject.

Outline Syllabus

This course explores some of the main themes and issues in Politics and Governance in contemporary times. It does so by building up a story about -liberal democracy' and 'the state'. These ideas have come to both dominate our political landscape - but now face serious challenges and threats. The course is divided into three main sections.

In the first term we start by looking at the principles of liberal democracy (democracy liberalism, and property) before looking at two states which exemplify those principles (the UK and USA). We will then survey some of the institutions of liberal democracy which work within and beyond the state level (such as the European Union and the United Nations).

The second term concentrates on the historical development of the international system of states focusing on the events surrounding the Cold War to our present situation; an examination of how governance is organised and globalised through the realms of politics and economics; and the development of structure, institutions, and ideas which have led to the possibility of global governance.

Finally, in the third term, we will explore of the complex and challenging role that the USA has on the current world political stage, and take a survey of some contemporary issues in politics.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.230: Modern Political Thought: Equality and Community.

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Term Only 
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

This course explores ideas central to any understanding of politics. It focuses on two related themes: Equality, and Community. In the course we will explore the thought of thinkers who are associated with these ideas of equality and community (Rousseau, Marx, the Fabians, and Rawls). By the end of the course, you will have an understanding of the key ideas of the thinkers under review and be able to assess the contribution that these thinkers have made to our wider understanding of politics. You will also be able to recognise the relevance of these thinkers to our current political debates, and be able to employ their ideas within those debates. Additionally, you will be able to evaluate the key features of an argument, be confident to express your own views, and evaluate the responses of others.

Educational Aims

Outline Syllabus

• Equality and Community
• Equality and the Community
• Rousseau: Equality and the Corruption of the State of Nature
• Rousseau: Virtue and the Ends of Civil Society
• Marx: Property and Bourgeois Rights
• Marx: Historical Materialism
• Marx: Class, Revolution, and the State
• The Fabians: Socialism, Democracy, and the State
• Rawls: Justice as Fairness
• Rawls: The Family and Equality
• Equality, Democracy, and the State & Conclusion

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.233: Power in British Politics: The Role of the Prime Minister

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer terms only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

This course explores British politics by focusing on the role of its central figure – the Prime Minister. Judging by media coverage, it would seem that the Prime Minister dominates the decision-making process, dwarfing other institutions such as the Cabinet, Parliament and the judiciary. But does this impression reflect reality? Does Britain really have a system of ‘Prime Ministerial’ – or, as some commentators have claimed – even ‘Presidential’ government? The course attempts to answer these crucial questions through case-studies of recent Prime Ministers and an examination of the sources of Prime Ministerial power, such as the ability to appoint ministers, to influence public opinion and to shape Britain’s foreign policy.

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Articulate their own position in relation to others' ideas
• Offer a critical assessment of scholarly literature, among a range of sources
• Work with and develop key conceptual approaches
• Show heightened critical, evaluative and communication skills through participation in seminar discussions, and independent research

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.235: Peace Studies in Action

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

This module seeks to identify and analyse violent and non-violent conflict behaviour as well as the structural mechanisms that are required to seek peace. It examines various theoretical positions in this regard and their application in managing, preventing and transforming conflicts into situations and outcomes that are more peaceful. This module looks at both top down and bottom up approaches to peace enforcement and peacebuilding in ongoing conflict locations as well as in many post-conflict settings.

In the course of the discussion, we interrogate various intervention strategies such as: the place of non-violence in peace activism, the concept of just war in imposing a resolution, the role that women play in peacebuilding, global institutions that facilitate peacekeeping, inter-faith debate and dialogue that contribute to addressing religious extremism and radicalism. The overriding question that we examine in the course of this module, is transition from a belligerent world to a more peaceful and harmonious one through cosmopolitan responsibility. The module ends by exploring the ways that seek to reaffirm the ideal of peace in an increasingly volatile and fractured international society.

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Develop substantial knowledge on the workings of international security system.
• Familiarise themselves with the key concepts on practical peace studies.
• Gain mastery over contemporary intellectual debates surrounding strategic peace.
• Use the techniques and strategies in professional settings.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.236: Politics and History of the Middle East

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term Only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

In the few years that have passed, the Middle East has experienced momentous changes. Most notable of these changes are the so-called ‘‘Arab Spring’’ uprisings, which started in late 2010, and the following consequences of these uprisings on the international relations of the region. Topics include the early emergence of Arab states, origins and sustainability of authoritarian regimes, state types and personality cult, masculinity and constructions of identity and belonging, women’s movements, social mobilization and the Arab uprisings. The course offers students from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to engage with the most important themes in the study of the politics of the Middle East and to locate and contextualise them within wider debates and scholarship of international politics.

Educational Aims

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Identify the central themes in an argument;
• Compare and contrast differing political arguments and positions and assess their validity;
• Demonstrate an ability to apply theory to empirical cases and problems;
• Argue their own position verbally and show understanding of positions of others;
• Work co-operatively in a group setting.

Outline Syllabus

Topics include the early emergence of Arab states, origins and sustainability of authoritarian regimes, state types and personality cult, masculinity and constructions of identity and belonging, women's movements, social mobilization and the Arab uprisings. The course offers students from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to engage with the most important themes in the study of the politics of the Middle East and to locate and contextualise them within wider debates and scholarship of international politics. The syllabus will typically include the following topics:

1. Introducing the region: a theoretical framework
2. The impact of colonial and Ottoman legacies on the current politics of the Middle East
3. Competing ideologies: rise of secular nationalism and Islamism after WW2
4. Building nation-state and the sustainability of authoritarianism in the region
5. Personality cult and legitimacy
6. Women's movements and national struggles
7. Arab uprsinings
8. Sectarianism

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.240: The Politics of Development

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites:
  • Previous study in this subject area is required

Course Description

This is a critical introduction to the underlying themes of development in the global South, such as debt, aid, inequality, migration; and how the state, the economy, national social movements and powerful external actors, including international NGOs, interact with each other. It begins by looking at how neoliberalism came to dominant development thinking and practice in institutions like the World Bank from the late 1970s onwards and its impact on development and then provides in-depth case-studies of recent alternative development models in Latin America and Syria. This course helps to broaden students' understanding of Politics and International Relations away from a Western focus on the UK, Europe and the US in preparation for third-year modules such as PPR.336: The Global Politics of Africa.

Educational Aims

Educational Aims: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

The first aim of this module is to introduce students to broad themes in development politics and policy such as colonialism, primary commodity dependence, neoliberalism, austerity programmes (structural adjustment programmes), poverty reduction policies, the developmental state, migration, remittances, aid, civil society, NGOs and social movements. The second goal is to apply those themes to case-studies. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the politics of different regions of the global South.

Educational Aims: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This course aims to strengthen undergraduate students' research, analytical, writing and oral communication skills by equipping them to read a range of texts critically and understand them in their historical and political context; to synthesise a breadth of sources and to construct an argument; and to present their ideas clearly, succinctly and reflectively both orally to their peers in class and in written essay and exam form.

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Students who pass this module should be able to...

• Critically understand some of the mechanisms behind global inequalities in wealth and power
• Critically understand the changing roles of and relationship between the market, state, voluntary sector and civil society in development politics and policies
• Critically analyse competing development schools of thought based on capital, labour and the state (neoliberalism, developmentalism, Marxism, autonomism)
• Have an introductory historic, thematic and case-study knowledge of the politics of development

Learning Outcomes: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Students who pass this module should be able to...

• Understand how to interact with academic literature
• Prepare a succinct and stimulating seminar presentation, with the option of power point slides, to develop effective communication with their peers and facilitate collective learning
• Experiment verbally with ideas with their peers in small group discussions as well as larger group discussions and seminar presentation preparation
• Demonstrate critical thinking by asking questions, digging below the surface of phenomena and applying relevant theory
• Produce a correctly referenced, well evidenced and carefully structured written academic argument.

Outline Syllabus

Topics will typically include:

Neoliberalism and Development

• Neoliberalism, Debt and Structural Adjustment
• The International Poverty Agenda
• Aid and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs)
• Migrants and Remittances

Alternatives to Neoliberalism

• Development Alternatives: An Introduction
• Alternatives from Above: Ecuador
• Alternatives from Below: Argentina
• Alternatives from Below: Syria I
• Alternatives from Below: Syria II
• Conclusion: Whose Development?

Assessment Proportions

• 40% coursework (1 essay of 2,500 words)
• 60% exam (2 hours)

PPR.248: China's International Relations

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS

Course Description

This module focuses on the international relations of one of the most influential actors in world politics: China. The course explores the key question of when and how China’s actions conform with – and diverge from – various international relations (IR) theories. This offers students a twofold payoff. Students gain a broad understanding of how China’s foreign policies are made, its relations with its neighbours in East Asia, with international organizations, and with other global powers including Britain. At the same time, students gain a deeper, more concrete understanding of the uses and limitations of IR theory in explaining global politics.

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Make effective arguments in verbal and written form
• Participate in academic group work including research and problem-solving
• Critically evaluate the applicability of general theories and concepts to specific real-world cases
• Present recently acquired knowledge and understanding to others in verbal form, and
• Write cogent and structured essays in the process of completing the coursework

Outline Syllabus

This module focuses on the international relations of one of the most influential actors in world politics: China. The course explores the key question of when and how China's actions conform with - and diverge from - various international relations (IR) theories. This offers students a twofold payoff. Students gain a broad understanding of how China's foreign policies are made, its relations with its neighbours in East Asia, with international organizations, and with other global powers including Britain. At the same time, students gain a deeper, more concrete understanding of the uses and limitations of IR theory in explaining global politics.

Section 1: History and Theory

• Introduction: IR theory and the China case
• Chinese foreign policy pre-1949
• Foreign policy in the eras of Mao and Deng
• Contemporary PRC foreign policymaking: high-level strategy, low-level implementation

Section 2: China in its region

• China and its Northeast Asian neighbours
• China and Southeast Asia

Section 3: China goes global

• Media and public opinion in China's foreign relations
• China and international institutions
• The Sino-American relationship
• China's relations with Britain and other great powers

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.261: Exploring Global Religions

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only 
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in religion.

Course Description

The course will begin by introducing concepts of politics, religion and values and using contemporary case studies to illustrate how they operate and interact. It will highlight and illustrate the deep-seated role of values in both politics and religion.

The first half of the course will then introduce classic theories and concepts of politics, religion, and values. The second half of the course will apply the theories and concepts critically to a series of historical and contemporary case studies chosen to ensure topicality as well as historical breadth and a global spread. These might include, for example, the rise of European nation states (how politics, religion and values worked together), Culture Wars in the USA, religious politics in India since the 1990s, and controversies over religion and schooling worldwide.

The course will conclude by considering integrating theories that make sense of the convergence of politics, religion and values (e.g. theories of ‘civil religion’, ‘new social movements’, ‘identity politics’ and ‘values-based politics’). The course will end with methodological reflection on the nature of the methods that have been in play during the course, and on combinations of methods for studying PRV. There will be plenty of room for student input and choice of cases in this module, and the entire course will be interactive and encourage students to integrate learning from other parts of their studies. It will provide a good theoretical basis for them to do so.

Educational Aims

The module will provide students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to:

• Recognise and analyse texts from several disciplines, demonstrating awareness of their different perspectives and uses, and ability to assess the strength of competing approaches and interpretations.
• Formulate evidence-based opinions verbally and in writing and communicate clearly, with the written and spoken word. Develop confidence and skill in analysis and discussion, and deepen critical skills.
• Improve analytical, written and verbal skills through course reading, essay-writing, and workshop discussions.
• Discuss and analyse empirical cases, by identifying salient aspects for analysis, theories that can be deployed, and disciplinary approaches that can be used.
• Deepen disciplinary understanding and also show how disciplinary perspectives may need to be challenged by other disciplines, thus building an interdisciplinary awareness.

Outline Syllabus

Politics can be defined as involving the legitimate exercise of coercive power, religion as involving the control of symbolic power. Both also involve values. Values have to do with what is perceived as good for the individual and society. Values can be expressed in norms, symbols, narratives and action. They shape identity and help bind people together and set them apart. By understanding politics, religion and values as overlapping categories, we can attain a fuller understanding of each. The course will begin by introducing concepts of politics, religion and values and using contemporary case studies to illustrate how they operate and interact. It will highlight and illustrate the deep-seated role of values in both politics and religion. The first half of the course will then introduce classic theories and concepts of politics, religion, and values. The second half of the course will apply the theories and concepts critically to a series of historical and contemporary case studies chosen to ensure topicality as well as historical breadth and a global spread. These might include, for example, the rise of European nation states (how politics, religion and values worked together), Culture Wars in the USA, religious politics in India since the 1990s, and controversies over religion and schooling worldwide. The course will conclude by considering integrating theories that make sense of the convergence of politics, religion and values (e.g. theories of 'civil religion', 'new social movements', 'identity politics' and 'values-based politics'). The course will end with methodological reflection on the nature of the methods that have been in play during the course, and on combinations of methods for studying PRV. There will be plenty of room for student input and choice of cases in this module, and the entire course will be interactive and encourage students to integrate learning from other parts of their studies. It will provide a good theoretical basis for them to do so. Typical areas of study will include:

• the concepts of politics, religion and values and issues of their interrelations
• theories of politics
• theories of religion (substantive and functional)
• theories of value (deontological, consequentialist, teleological, relational)
• case studies examining the growth of modern European nation states (how politics, religion and values work together), Culture Wars in the USA (clashing binary clusters of politics, religion, and values), Religious politics in India since the 1990s,
• theories of the convergence of politics, religion and values (e.g. theories of 'civil religion', 'political religion' and 'alues-based politics')
• theories of the clash of politics, religion and values (e.g. 'social identity theory', theories of religious violence)

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.280: International Relations, Security and Sustainability

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

The module explores the main theoretical foundations to International Relations, including realism and neo-realism, liberalism, and social constructivism and critical IR. It also explores how complexity theory relates to these theories. The second section focuses on the major international events of the 20th and early 21st centuries and how these relate to and interact with the development of international relations theories. The final weeks of the module focus on key relevant topics and developments including issues such as international political economy, debates relating to human/environmental sustainability and the impact of climate change and the practicality of an ethical foreign policy.

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Better understand theoretical arguments and academic analyses;
• Prepare close readings of source material for collective discussion;
• Develop their oral and written communication skills;
• Develop a better understanding of the international relations system and its dynamics;
• Enhance their ability to evaluate both conflicting and competing interpretations of political and international relations theories and developments

Outline Syllabus

The module will begin with a detailed introduction of the main theoretical foundations to International Relations, including reviews of realism and neo-realism, liberalism, institutionalism and the English school, social constructivism and critical IR. It will then explore how complexity theory relates to these theories.

In the second section, the focus will be on the major international events of the 20th and early 21st centuries and how these relate to and interact with the development of international relations theories and thinking. Key periods will include the transition from global empires to world wars, the Cold War and the rise of globalisation from the New World Order to the War on Terror and beyond.

The final weeks of the module will focus on key relevant topics and developments. These could include issues surrounding aspects of the international political economy, debates relating to human/environmental sustainability and the impact of climate change and possibility of an ethical foreign policy.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.284: International Relations and Politics of the Asia Pacific

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

The aim of this course is look at the main political and economic trends and security concerns of the Asia Pacific. The term, ‘Asia Pacific’ is a contested term but here it refers primarily to countries from both South Asia and East Asia. The course will introduce students to issues/debates in Asian politics and cover topics like Asian nationalism, Asian democracy, Asian regionalism, Asian bureaucracy and governance, gender and sexuality in Asia, Asian values and Asian security. The course takes a strong case studies approach and every lecture will be backed by a single case study from the region.

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the key political, economic trends and security concerns of the Asia Pacific. Although the term, 'Asia Pacific' is quite a contested term, here it refers to countries from both South Asia as well as countries from East Asia.

Outline Syllabus

This course looks the general political and economic trends and security concerns of the Asia Pacific.

The course covers topics like Asian security, Asian values, Asian democracy, Asian regionalism, Asian nationalism, gender and sexuality in the Asia Pacific, identity in the Asia Pacific, secessionist movements in the Asia Pacific and authortarian rule in the Asia Pacific.

The course also takes a strong case studies approach. Case studies will be taken from both south Asia and east Asia. Each week, once the key arguments have been put forward to the students, they will be backed up by a single case study or a group of case studies.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.285: Russian International Politics

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

This module examines the domestic and the external sphere of Russian politics. At the end of the module students will better understand some doctrines of Russian politics and its wide-ranging effects on Russia’s engagement with the EU, the US, NATO, countries in the former Soviet space and the Middle East. It assesses Russia’s response to the Arab Spring and its engagement in the conflict in Syria.

The course introduces students to Russia, an actor which gained presence and influence over several issue areas and regions. It prepares students for more extensive analyses of conceptualising Russia as an actor in their future studies.

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Develop critical reading skills for collective discussion during seminars;
• Enhance analytical skills;
• Develop academic research and writing skills;
• Develop their oral and written communication skills.

Outline Syllabus

• Introduction – Russia as an Actor in International Politics
• The Transformation Process – From Yeltsin to Putin
• The Consolidation of the Putin Presidencies
• Russia as a Political System- Sovereign Democracy or Semi-Authoritarian Regime?
• The Role of Russian Civil Society
• Which factors shape or break Russia’s Relations with the EU?
• What are conflicts in Russia’s Relations with the US (2012-2019)?
• What are contentious issues in Russia’s Relations with NATO?
• Russia’s Engagement in Syria & its perception by the West
• Conclusion – Wide-ranging Effects of Russian Politics

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.287: Protest Politics: Social Movements and Countercultures

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms Only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

This course will familiarize students with the politics of protest, the social and political significance of countercultures, theories of social movements, and the ways in which movements either implement or prevent social and cultural change. Relevant political philosophies will be introduced, as well as the core ideas informing, for example, the women’s movement, the peace movement, and the environmental movement. The course will also examine the practice of protest, introducing, for example, protest art, music, and acts of civil disobedience.

Outline Syllabus

The course will be divided into three parts: (1) protest politics in the 1960s and 1970s; (2) social movement theory; (3) contemporary social movements. (1) This part will provide some of the foundation historical background to important movements, such as the environmental movement, the women's movement, and the peace movement. (2) This part of the course will examine some of the key contemporary theories about why social movements emerge, how they grow, how they differ, and why they decline. (3) The final part of the course will examine several contemporary social movements in detail (e.g. Extinction Rebellion; Occupy; Hong Kong protests).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.320: Political Ideas

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms Only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

This course examines central themes in the liberal branch of contemporary Anglo-American analytic political philosophy. The liberal positions on justice, liberty, equality, the state, power, rights and utility are all explored. The approach is philosophical rather than applied; its focus is on the ideas of liberal politics: how individual liberty can be maximised while not harming others and places the developments of liberal ideas in their appropriate historical contexts. The course also examines the connection between the ideas of liberalism and the idea of democracy to explore the philosophical tensions between the two and how these might be resolved. The course is a survey of major topics and concepts in Anglo-American liberal political ideas. The syllabus includes: questions about justice: analytic philosophy and liberalism; visions of the state: liberalism, republicanism, socialism; liberty and individuality; equality; utility and rights; neutrality and the market: private property and public goods; power: freedom or oppression.

Educational Aims

The aims of this module are to:

1. Introduce and examine the main features of the debates in political theory.
2. To introduce and examine the major ideas in that debate with a specific (although not exclusive) focus on liberty.
3. To develop an understanding of the significance of the debate for our attempts to establish justice and distribute goods through political systems.

Outline Syllabus

This course examines central themes in contemporary political philosophy. The ideas and theories of justice, liberty, equality, the state, power, rights and utility are all explored. The course asks significant questions about the way in which the liberal position has evolved. The approach is philosophical rather than applied; its focus is on the ideas of liberal politics: how individual liberty can be maximised while not harming others; how an individual philosophical position can guide political determinants of a society and places the developments of liberal ideas in their appropriate historical contexts. The course also examines the connection between the ideas of liberalism and the idea of democracy to explore the philosophical tensions between the two and how these might be resolved.

The syllabus will include the following topics:

• Analytic philosophy and liberalism
• Visions of the state: Liberalism, Republicanism, Socialism; Liberty and individuality
• Liberalism and democracy
• Negative and positive liberty
• Equality
• Utility and rights
• Toleration and Multiculturalism: Responses to diversity.
• Neutrality and the market: private property and public goods
• Power: freedom or oppression.

In addition to the 10 week syllabus an extra two hour workshop will be held in the first week of summer term in accordance with new contact-hours requirements in 2009/10.

Assessment Proportions

• Exam: 60%
• Coursework: 40%

PPR.324: Politics of Global Danger

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

This course examines the changing character of war and security in a time of rapid and disruptive technological and geopolitical change. The course combines analysis of contemporary policy documents with the interdisciplinary insights of intellectuals that have examined how war has changed in the modern age. Students are introduced to a range of concepts that are currently significant in the policy debates about the future of war – concepts such as ambiguous war, the gray zone, the third offset strategy and the three block war. While the course is grounded in broader debates from social and political though about war and modernity, it explores a range of evolving and inter-related case studies that are central to understanding how war is changing: cybersecurity/artificial intelligence; cities and urban war; drones and the future of robotics; climate change and ecological insecurity. Each year we try to bring a guest lecturer from the Ministry of Defence or the FCO to discuss questions relevant to the course – and to discuss how the course can be relevant to a broad range of careers.

Educational Aims

This module examines how danger, fear and insecurity function in the politics of liberal democracies. Focusing primarily on literatures and debates that have emerged since the 1990s, the module is interested in the perspectives that argue that: ‘In the course of a gradual neutralization of politics and the progressive surrender of traditional tasks of the state, security becomes the basic principle of state activity. What used to be one among several definitive measures of public administration until the first half of the twentieth century, now becomes the sole criterium of political legitimation.’ (Agamben 2001). The module asks three major questions. First, what is the intellectual basis for the claim made by critical security scholars that security is the sole criterium of political legitimation? Second, according to critical security studies scholars what political consequences emerge from the increasing ‘securitization’ of life in liberal democracy? How do critical security studies expand the empirical and ethico-political terrain of security studies?

Outline Syllabus

The module will outline some of the main contributions to debates on danger, fear and insecurity in political and social thought. The syllabus will include the following topics:

• The transformation of danger and threat in the post-Cold War world as explained by Paul Virilio and critical security studies scholars
• The critical responses to mainstream approaches to global danger
• The central ideas of the debate about ‘emergency’ and the political as developed by Giorgio Agamben and critical security studies scholars
• The central ideas in debates on the political economy of insecurity
• The central ideas in debates about uncertainty and risk in analysis of global danger

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.328: Understanding External Intervention in Violent Conflicts

• Terms Taught: Lent/Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

The module aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the different facets of contemporary Asian conflicts and how international organisations such as the UN, and how Western and Asian governments have attempted to deal with these challenges in recent times. Conceptually, the course will examine the principles of state failure; terrorism, ‘New Wars’, the New Security Agenda, Islamism, nationalism and sub nationalism, international conflict prevention; peace keeping and global governance. Empirically, the course will focus on conflict zones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indian Kashmir, the Indian northeast, Chinese Xinjiang and Tibet. Thus, the aim of this module is to provide students with an overview of the security of a region which is now of tremendous global importance.

Educational Aims

The course aims to develop student understanding of how international organisations have attempted to intervene within conflict zones to prevent an escalation in conflict, to enforce UN resolutions or to assist externally mediated peace settlements. The course aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of how violent conflict has changed since the end of the Cold War and how transnational organisations such as the EU, UN and NATO have attempted to deal with the new challenges and opportunities presented since the beginning of the 1990s until the present day.

Outline Syllabus

This 10-week module will examine the politics of external intervention inviolent political conflicts and at the attempts made to manage, prevent and transform these wars into more peaceful situations. Conceptually the course will examine the principles of democratic peace theory, state failure and international conflict prevention, peace-keeping and neo-liberal global governance. Empirically, the course will focus on post Cold War conflicts such as Somalia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. The syllabus will centre primarily on external interventions within violent conflicts with a particular focus on how the changing nature of violent conflict at the end of the Cold War (rise of intra- rather than inter-state conflict) led to new methods and norms for external third party intervention.

The content of the syllabus will include the following themes:

• The Concept of the End of History, the New World Order and the changing nature of violent conflict at the end of the Cold War;
• The Theory and Practice of International Conflict Prevention;
• The Responsibility to Protect and the changing role of the UN;
• The complexities of intervening as neutral fact-finders in a war zone;
• The CNN Effect and role of the media in external intervention within Violent conflicts;
• The roles and impacts of Diaspora communities in violent conflict;
• The evolution of peace keeping and peace enforcement operations designed to end war;
• Global Governance, good governance and the democratic peace;
• Crisis Simulation Exercise: A meeting of the UN General Assembly over a current violent political conflict.
• Ending the War on Terror: The politics of reconstruction.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.333: Contemporary Issues in the Middle East

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

As the Middle East has long been [and still] one of the most unstable regions in the world, and it is further bedevilled by strong authoritarian states and pervasive ethnic and sectarian violence, what explains this instability and ongoing tensions? By examining key questions surrounding the study of Middle Eastern politics, this course aims to provide students with a critical perspective of the region’s politics. This course introduces students to an analysis of the history, politics, society, culture and religions of the Middle East with attention to major events in the region.

Educational Aims

This course aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of key issues in the contemporary Middle East. The module will offer students the opportunity to gain an understanding of the people, society and politics of the region and the role that religion, ethnicity, gender and class have played in shaping contemporary issues. The course aims for students to gain a comprehensive understanding of: the major internal and external actors in the region; issues around conflict and peace; the geo-strategic importance of the region; issues of political economy (particularly in relation to oil); political change and reform; the issue of identities in the Middle East and ideologies around this and the emergence of political Islam.

Outline Syllabus

The course will cover contemporary issues in the Middle East. The syllabus will include the following topics:

• Introduction to the Middle East: people, society and politics
• Voices of the Middle East: religion, ethnicity, gender and class
• Internal and External Actors in the Middle East
• Politics of Identity in the Middle East: the question of Arab unity
• Political economies of the Middle East: power or dependence? Political change and reform
• Political Islam
• Peace and Conflict in the Region (2 weeks)
• The post 9/11 landscape: the war on terror and future prospects

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.336: Africa and Global Politics

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits.
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

This course provides a historical and thematic introduction to the issues facing Africa in the international system today. The course is divided into two sections. The first section explores the historical incorporation of the continent into the emerging international system centred on Europe from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. It focuses on the impact of colonialism and independence in terms of the economy, the state and the politics of race and the implications these have for the region’s prospects for democracy and development today. The second section looks at key contemporary issues and agents shaping the continent. The latter includes ‘top-down’ actors such as the Chinese state, as well as grassroots actors such as unionised South African workers.

Educational Aims

The course aims to:

• Furnish students with a historical approach to understanding contemporary issues facing African countries.
• Examine how colonialism shaped the economy, state and society, better equipping students to understand the debt crisis, poor economic performance, state failure and the role of civil society.
• Introduce students to cutting-edge debates around the roles of China, South Africa, foreign aid and remittances for future prospects for development on the continent.

Outline Syllabus

The course will provide a historical and thematic introduction to the issues facing Africa in the international system today. The syllabus will include the following topics:

• Contemporary representations of 'Africa' and their historic roots
• Africa's incorporation into the world system via the Atlantic Slave Trade
• Colonial conquest, the colonial economy and the colonial state
• Colonial ideology, anti-colonialism, decolonisation and independence
• Debt, structural adjustment programmes, aid conditionality and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• Poverty reduction, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the role of civil society
• Gender, health care and HIV/AIDS
• Migration and the importance of remittances
• The contemporary role of China in Africa: Friend or foe?
• South Africa: past and present
• An African economic recovery?

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.337: Society & Politics in Latin America

• Terms Taught: Lent/Summer Terms only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

• an overview of politics of populism
• the role of the Latin American left in shaping the public discourse
• democracy and dictatorship
• the emancipatory role of religion
• the culture of everyday violence
• politics of dependency and development
• political economy of migration and the role played by external actors in shaping its cultural
• economic, social and political identity

Outline Syllabus

Indicative outline syllabus:

• Week One - History & Politics
• Week Two - Religion and Society
• Week Three - Migration & Mass Movement
• Week Four - Culture and Violence
• Week Five - Regional Integration
• Week Six - The Big Players (ABC & M of LA)
• Week Seven - Islands in the Stream (Politics of the Greater Caribbean)
• Week Eight - Foreign Policy
• Week Nine - China in LA
• Week Ten - Evolving L. America (D, P&D)
• Week Eleven - Revision & Recap

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.348: The Governance of Global Capitalism

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

The module will introduce students to some of the most important challenges facing the governance of the contemporary global economic order. The main themes explored by the module are (a) the nature of power in global economy, (b) the role, scope and limits of states within the world market, (c) the relationship between nation states and other actors in the global economy such as transnational corporations and supranational organisations. In tackling these themes the module will introduce students to different approaches to studying governance in the global economy (from Marxism to Post-structuralism) and examine the most challenging issues of the global economy such as financialisaton, climate change and the future of growth.

Outline Syllabus

The module will introduce you to some of the most important challenges facing the governance of the contemporary global economic order. The main themes explored by the module are: (a) the nature of power in global economy, (b) the role, scope and limits of states within the world market, (c) the relationship between nation states and other actors in the global economy such as financial markets and supranational organisations, (d) the governing dilemmas with which policy-makers are faced and the way they manifest themselves in specific policy areas and issues such as production, finance, climate and development. In tackling these themes, the module will introduce students to different ways of studying governance in the global economy and examine the most challenging issues of the global economy such as financialisaton, climate change and the future of growth. Topics covered might typically include:

• Theoretical approaches to states in the world economy
• The evolution of global economic governance
• Transnational governance and depoliticization
• Governing production and trade
• Governing money and finance
• Governing development
• Climate Governance
• Power and domination in the global economy

Assessment Proportions

• 100% coursework

PPR.365: State and Religion

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term Only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Previous study in this subject area is required.

Course Description

Course Description: The module provides a comparative perspective drawing on the fields of religion and politics. It analyses how the rise of the modern nation-state impacted and reconstituted religion in a post-colonial, global context. It addresses questions such as: What place does religion have in diverse political systems in the modern world? How have religious ideologies and commitments shaped modern conceptions and practices of governance? To what extent has religion been engaged in supporting/contesting discourses of liberal democracy and human rights? And why does it remain a site for political protest in non-western contexts? These questions will be explored across various traditions such as Hinduism, Christianity, Islam as well as in diverse regional contexts, such as Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Key topics will typically include: Secularism, Religion and the Postcolonial Nation-State; Religion and law-making in modern nation-states; State, Religion, and human rights, with a focus on women's rights or religious minority rights; State, Religion and Rebellion; and Civil Religion: Interrogating America's Nationalism.

Educational Aims

Educational Aims: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This module aim to offer an opportunity to study a range of religions, geographic and political contexts. It will attempt to equip students with the knowledge and confidence to describe, discuss and deploy competing concepts and theories as well as a range of examples. Students will learn to understand the close relationship between theory and context, and the variations in the historical and contemporary reality of states and the effect of religion on them. We aim to give students an awareness of the need for critical thinking about the global complexity of the role of religion on governance, political practices and ideologies. They would have been able to develop a deeper understanding of a specific issue through a case study in their coursework.

Educational Aims: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

The module aims to provide students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to:

• Recognise and analyse literature from several disciplines, demonstrating awareness of their different perspectives and uses, and ability to assess the strength of competing approaches and interpretations.
• Formulate evidence-based opinions verbally and in writing and communicate clearly, with the written and spoken word.
• Develop confidence and skill in analysis and discussion and deepen critical skills. Improve analytical, written and verbal skills through course reading, essay-writing, and workshop discussions.
• Discuss and analyse empirical cases, by identifying salient aspects for analysis, theories that can be deployed, and disciplinary approaches that can be used.
• Deepen disciplinary understanding and also show how disciplinary perspectives may need to be challenged by other disciplines, thus building an interdisciplinary awareness

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Students who pass this module should be able to... Demonstrate understanding of key concepts of the state in contemporary religious and political thought and practice. Identify the complex inter-relationship between religion and the modern state across different traditions and in different regional contexts. Critically evaluate how this inter-relationship has shaped and even transformed political systems and religious tradition nationally and transnationally.

Learning Outcomes: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Students who pass this module should be able to...

• Demonstrate cognitive, time management and transferable skills through supportive learning environments and rigorous modes of assessment
• Utilise high-level skills in problem solving, application of knowledge, analysis and critical reflection, handling large bodies of information, oral and written communication, negotiation and influence, time management and work organisation
• Use appropriate digital learning technologies available through the university in research and writing
• Demonstrate the ability to gather, organize and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources; identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems; and construct reasoned argument, synthesize relevant information and exercise critical judgement

Outline Syllabus

Key topics will typically include:

• Secularism, Religion and the Postcolonial Nation-State;
• Religion and law-making in modern nation-states;
• State, Religion, and human rights, with a focus on women's rights or religious minority rights;
• Christianity and civil religion;
• Social movements and religion;
• State, Religion and Rebellion.

Assessment Proportions

• 100% coursework (1 x 5000-word essay)

PPR.366: Conspiracy Theories in Politics and Society

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites:
  • Previous study in this subject area is required

Course Description

Course Description: Who killed John F. Kennedy? Did the moon landing really happen? Is Covid-19 caused by the erection of 5G network masts? Factual answers to such questions are easily accessible. And yet many people eschew documented facts in favour of conspiracy theories, which explain events and complex phenomena with reference to nefarious forces and alleged hidden machinations of powerful actors. Such narratives are nothing new, but they used to be regarded mostly as a curiosity rather than a serious subject of research. Today communities of conspiracists are no longer considered so benign. As they thrive online, they attract increasing interest of scholars and policymakers, who study their digital influence, their links with political movements and their status as participants in democratic public spheres. This Special Subject introduces students to the developing body of research on the origins, spread and the political and social effects of conspiracy theories, including multidisciplinary work seeking to explain why people embrace conspiracies, what (if any) are the harms of such beliefs, what insights can we draw from the study of historical conspiracies (19th and 20th century) and what is the relationship between conspiratorial thinking and other political beliefs.

Educational Aims

Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This module aims to:

• Introduce students to the interdisciplinary field of conspiracy studies;
• Elucidate key concepts (e.g. post-truth, New Dark Age, radical transparency, paranoid style etc.)
• Explore a selection of historical and contemporary conspiracy theories;
• Foster the understanding of their historical, cultural, political and social significance;
• Challenge simplistic perceptions and encourage a nuanced analytic approach to the role of conspiracists in the public sphere;
• Develop the ability to recognize the varieties and dynamics of conspiratorial thinking in contemporary politics and assess their impact and significance.

Educational Aims: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This module aims to:

1. Foster an inclusive environment for presenting ideas in a group setting;
2. Develop confidence about engaging with interdisciplinary work;
3. Develop the ability to lead discussion and synthesize insights;
4. Develop research, critical thinking and analytic skills through weekly reading assignments and two pieces of coursework (Week 5 and Week 10);
5. Provide the opportunity to discuss and analyse work at the intersection of academic research, journalism and popular culture.

Outline Syllabus

Topics may typically include:

1. Theoretical approaches to conspiracy theories
2. Conspiracy theories in history
3. Paranoid Style
4. 20th century case studies
5. Conspiracy theories in popular culture
6. Conspiracy theories and the Internet
7. Post-truth and information warfare
8. The political impact of conspiracy theories
9. The societal impact of conspiracy theories
10. Future directions in conspiracy theories

Assessment Proportions

• 100% coursework (1 x 2000-word essay and 1 x 3000-word essay)

PPR.391b: China in the Modern World

• Terms Taught: Lent Term only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits.
• ECTS Credits: 8 ECTS Credits.
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Religion and/or Politics.

Course Description

China's rise is commonly understood as a key factor that will shape future world order. In this seminar-based course, students will become familiar with different approaches to understanding China's rise, and critically evaluate the opportunities and challenges this poses to both China and the surrounding world. In each seminar we will consider a key issue in China's relation to the world from different perspectives. Issues that will be explored include: the possibility of an alternative modernity; sources of party-state legitimacy; Chinese nationalism; the limits of Chinese identity; new tools of China's 'soft power'; the 'Chinese school' of International Relations theory; questions of territorial integrity; and Chinese ideas of world order and the ‘China model’. This course will thus offer students an opportunity to discuss familiar concepts like nationalism, democracy and modernity in the concrete context of China in the post-Mao era. It will help students improve their research skills, enhance their understanding of the complexity of issues in contemporary China, and critically examine conceptual tools of political analysis in the Chinese context.

Educational Aims

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

• give a sustained critical discussion of one substantial theme or line of argument that is in part or whole constitutive of the chosen topic
• use the resources of small study group to develop their own critical thinking

Assessment Proportions

• Dissertation: 100%

PPR.392c: The Ethics and Politics of Communication

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term Only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Philosophy.

Course Description

This module critically explores a range of key topics in the ethics and politics of communication. In the first half of the course, we begin by an introduction to some basic concepts in linguistics and philosophy of language – especially to do with the practical side of communication. We then focus on (a) how certain kinds of communication can bring about ethical change (e.g. making something permissible); (b) upon whether lying and other kinds of deception are permissible, and if so, when. In the second half we turn to some broadly political issues: whether political lying is justified in a way that everyday lying is not. We consider three domains where freedom of communication is both important and contentious: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom on social media, including the challenges posed by "content moderation".

Educational Aims

These Seminar options are mounted specifically to provide work at an advanced level for third year single and combined major students. Special Subject classes run as seminars: the tutor convenes the group and suggests reading but does not lecture. Students are required to attend special subject seminars regularly. Each seminar group member takes their turn in making a presentation to the seminar, and it is the presentation that forms the basis for the seminar discussion. It also forms the basis for the submitted written coursework. In recent years, special subjects have included Philosophy, Politics and Economics; Hannah Arendt; Leibniz; feminist ethics; Aesthetics; Nietzsche.

The aims are to take participants' knowledge of philosophy and skills in philosophising to advanced levels. In particular, to give participants

• advanced knowledge and understanding of a particular philosophical topic
• experience of close philosophical study, led by a tutor who has an active research interest in the topic being considered
• experience of how to benefit from working in a small study group

Assessment Proportions

• Dissertation: 100%

SOCL308: Terror

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: Five semesters of sociology.

Course Description

This module analyses the relationship between society and terror taking point of departure in the discussion of 9/11 and the political responses it has provoked. The course focuses on how different forms of terror are related to the changing nature of the society and how terror can be theorized from a sociological point of view. It also explores how the study of terror can contribute to the discipline of sociology. The key concepts are terror, the war against terrorism, dispositif, nihilism, flow, consumerism, post-politics, and politics of security.

Educational Aims

The aim of this module is to analyse the relationship between society and terror taking point of departure in the discussion of 9/11 and the political responses it has provoked.

This module aims to impart knowledge of how terror(ism) relates to contemporary social change. The overall aim of the course is to introduce and develop skills of methodological reasoning, interpreting comparative studies of different societies (western and eastern Europe, North America and the Middle East), and critically assessing competing theories and empirical evidence through texts, presentations and discussions.

Outline Syllabus

Introduction: terror as concept (the history of the concept and of actions specified as terror)

• Terror as nihilism (the generic link between the discussion of nihilism, especially in the 19th Century Russia, and the concept of nihilism).
• Terror in network society (the new types of terrorism developing in the contemporary society with focus on technologies of mobility)
• Terror, sovereignty and the culture of exception (the link between terror and sovereignty with focus on 'state terror' as a dispositif)
• Politics of security and fundamentalism (the 'clash of cultures' thesis and the war against terrorism)
• Camps and human rights (Agamben's theory of the camp and its link to biopolitics with focus on human rights)
• Control, surveillance and the culture of fear (fear as a sociological category and the uses of fear for social regulation)
• Terror and cinema (the link between terror as fantasised in cinema and modern terrorism - terror as continuation of Hollywood films by other means)
• Terror and literature (terrorism in modern literature exemplified with the French bestselling author Houellebecq's work)
• Terror as dispositif (terror as new governmental dispositif replacing Foucault's 'discipline'; the link between 'control society' and terror).

Assessment Proportions

• 1 x 3000 word essay: 70%
• Presentation: 30%