| CODE | PPG2001 | ||||||
| TITLE | Critical Texts in Politics: Selected Readings | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Policy, Politics and Governance | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit introduces students to critical texts in the field of politics, examining works that have shaped political philosophy, informed contemporary political debates, and advanced key theoretical frameworks. The study-unit is structured as a series of seminars, where students engage in close readings of assigned texts. The selection of texts includes classical works addressing concepts such as liberty, power, and justice, reflecting on their relevance in shaping political thought. These texts provide students with a grounding in the philosophical roots of political inquiry, encouraging a deep understanding of core political ideas and concepts. In addition to historical texts, students will examine contemporary writings that address pressing global and societal issues, from social justice and human rights to the climate crisis and identity politics. By analyzing how these texts respond to and critique current political landscapes, this study-unit highlights how political theory intersects with real-world issues and shapes public discourse. The study-unit engages with key texts that offer students frameworks for interpreting and engaging with political phenomena. The selection of texts exposes students to various schools of thought within political theory, such as post-structuralism, post-colonialism and feminist theory, each offering unique lenses for understanding power dynamics and social structures. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims: - To critically engage with a selection of key texts in politics through close reading and analysis; - To identify core questions in political theory, both historically and in contemporary times; - To conduct nuanced discussions on political themes such as social justice, human rights, climate crisis and identity politics; - To expose students to diverse theoretical frameworks and perspectives in the study of political phenomena; - To perform close reading of primary and secondary texts in the discipline of politics; - To foster skills in textual analysis and discussion. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyse and closely read key texts in politics; - Identify and explain core notions and arguments in historical and contemporary texts in political theory; - Critique the theses and arguments presented in primary and secondary texts in politics; - Identify the theoretical frameworks underpinning core texts in politics; - Construct a summary detailing the main claims and arguments made in key political texts; - Discuss the relevance of different texts to ongoing political debates. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Debate the merits and shortcomings of primary and secondary texts in politics; - Report the major findings of key journal articles covering political topics; - Navigate different types of texts (journal articles, book chapters, manifestos, historical texts) and eliciting their main claims; - Contrast theoretical frameworks based on their underpinning assumptions; - Identify key questions and phenomena discussed in contemporary literature on politics; - Analyse and interpret complex political texts with a critical and reflective approach; - Perform a critique of a key text in politics, in writing and oral form; - Apply key political theories and concepts to analyze current political issues. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Cohen, M. (ed.) 2018, Princeton Readings in Political Thought: Essential Texts from Plato to Populism, 2nd ed, Princeton University Press. Supplementary Readings: - Cudd, A.E. & Andreasen, R.O. (eds.) 2005, Feminist Theory: A Philosophical Anthology, Blackwell Publishing. - Goodin, R.E. & Pettit, P. (eds.) 2019, Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology, 3rd ed, Wiley-Blackwell. - Jeske, D. & Fumerton, R. (eds.) 2012, Readings in Political Philosophy: Theory and Applications, Broadview Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar | ||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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