BE947-6-FY-CO:
Democracy in Action

The details
2025/26
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 26 June 2026
30
16 September 2025

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BSC N300 Finance,
BSC N301 Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N302 Finance (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N304 Finance (Including Placement Year),
BSC LG01 Economics with Data Science,
BSC LG02 Economics with Data Science (Including Year Abroad),
BSC LG03 Economics with Data Science (Including Placement Year),
BSC LG04 Economics with Data Science (Including Foundation Year)

Module description

Through the five step training of Citizens UK (1. Organise, 2. Listen, 3. Plan, 4. Act, 5. Negotiate), students will learn the basics of community building and organising, which they will be able to practice and experience for themselves. Students will learn to build power and negotiate with local government on issues of local concern such as hate crime, transport, mental health and housing.


This module intends to bring together both theory and practice and serves as a way for students approaching the end of their studies to ‘apply’ their knowledge and skills outside the classroom. The module speaks directly to the University’s commitment to transformational education, community engagement, employability, and citizenship, placing student experiences from across a wide range of disciplines and departments at the centre of the module. Students often explore concepts and theories linked to democracy, human rights, social justice, power, organizations, negotiations, human relations, accountability, corporate social responsibility etc. However, there are relatively few opportunities available to students to ‘test’ these ideas in practice. This module aims to tackle precisely that.


Through training and practical experience, students will build their confidence, and enhance skills associated with project management, team work, communication and creativity, which will help open doors for their future careers.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To offer students an innovative and interdisciplinary way of engaging with a final year project.

  • To strengthen the connection between the University of Essex, Citizens UK Colchester and other local organisations by having the students focus on building better communities through the co-production of knowledge and best practice.

  • To learn how to identify relevant stakeholders and decision-makers and negotiate with local government and organizations on issues of local concern such as hate crime, transport, street lighting, living wage, mental health and housing, or something else discovered through ‘listening’ exercises.

  • To work with their peers, academic staff and professional staff from Citizens UK to build alliances and create common cause on important issues.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Apply “academic” knowledge in practical scenarios.

  2. Accurately identify community issues.

  3. Engage in community organising and to communicate effectively.

  4. Engage in community building.

  5. Work in a team based on a shared interest and concern.

  6. Take active steps toward collective action.

  7. Manage a project.

  8. Develop an independent research report.

  9. Analyse and reflect critically on theories and/or conceptual/analytical frameworks in addressing real-life social issues.

Module information

There is an application process for this module - please request this module in eNROL in the usual way and note the following:


Students should contact democracyinaction@essex.ac.uk for additional information about the application process.



  • The deadline for applications is 22 September 2025.

  • Successful applicants will be notified before the start of the autumn term.

  • There are limited places and once the places are full unsuccessful applicants will be contacted before the start of the autumn term to choose other modules on eNROL to ensure they have the credits required for the academic year.


This module will allow third year students to do their final year project in an innovative and interdisciplinary way. The module seeks to give students the possibility to better understand their community, the issues it confronts and how to address them.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

2 hour lectures weekly in Autumn and Spring Term.

Presentations in Summer Term.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Continuous Diary Notes of Personal Reflections    15% 
Coursework   Individual Reflective Assignment  12/12/2025  25% 
Coursework   Group Presentation  24/04/2026  25% 
Coursework   Dissertation  06/05/2026  35% 

Additional coursework information

  • Continuous diary notes of personal reflections.

Continuous diary notes of personal reflections: Personal reflections recorded in Learning Journal of training and one-to-ones to date, exploring what problems can be turned into issues, and how institutions can build power together to act for change.Reflection on how this relates to your own university course, and how you use these reflections for delivery of final sessions and for thinking about future career and citizenship plans

  • Individual reflective assignment.

Personal reflections of training and delivery to date, exploring the connections between your own university course and this module, and how you use these reflections for further action, and reflecting on the impact on your future career and the impact this work is having on society.

  • Group presentation

Analysis and evaluation of training and delivery experience, concluding with recommendations/proposals for the future that are relevant to key stakeholdersGroup powerpoint presentation to a selection of stakeholdersExplaining your action, and how you attempted to negotiate and hold power to account 

  • Essay dissertation.

Topic to be agreed with supervisor, but this may involve drawing on experience and contextualizing it. For example, according to current social issues, community action, democracy and/or organisation studies and/or introducing comparisons to other forms of community action and/or connecting to other university modules and/or evaluations from the point of view of class, gender equality, and/or an evaluation of your experience. During this dissertation students will also evaluate key, relevant theories and debates.

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Olimpia Burchiellaro, email: olimpia.burchiellaro@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Anne Steinhoff, email: anne.steinhoff@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Luciana Zorzoli, Dr Stevphen Shukaitis, Dr Olimpia Burchiellaro, Prof Peter Bloom,
olimpia.burchiellaro@essex.ac.uk; anne.steinhoff@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
Yes
No

External examiner

Prof Owain Smolovic Jones
Durham University
Professor of Organisational Studies
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 26 hours, 26 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Essex Business School

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