University of Essex

GV150-4-SP-CO:
Politics and Power

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Spring

Level: Undergraduate: Level 4

Status: Current

Start date: Monday 13 January 2025

End date: Friday 21 March 2025

Credits: 15

Last updated: 18 October 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

BA L2CH Social Sciences,
BA LFCH Social Sciences,
BSC LL20 Politics with Data Science,
BSC LL21 Politics with Data Science,
BSC LL22 Politics with Data Science

Module description

Central to Western political theory is the social contract tradition, which argues that the exercise of political power is justified by the popular consent of the people.

The readings this term argue that the contract is not consented to by everybody (‘we the people’) but between just the people who count, and so hides the ugly realities of oppression and domination. We read critics of Western and liberal political thought, including readings from class, race, gender, and disability theory, to discuss how purportedly universal ideas of reason, freedom, and equality, excluded many people.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

To introduce students to critics of liberalism and to stimulate interest in the topic.

To familiarise students with key concepts in modern political theory and with debates that surround these concepts.

To equip students with the understanding of the relevance of political theory to the study of politics. These are not esoteric texts; they are profound political acts with current relevance.

Module learning outcomes

The concepts and debates taught in this module constitute the bread and butter issues of politics. Anyone interested in politics and related fields should therefore find the content of value both as a citizen, and across numerous professions, including positions in the law, and with NGOs, think tanks, political parties, and the civil services.

If a student’s specialisation is in empirical political science, the normative study of politics develops students’ sense of which empirical questions and topics are morally important and why. Thus, the course is useful for students preparing to undertake postgraduate research in political science.

Module information

GV151 is highly recommended as a pre-requisite

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

2 hour seminars.

Bibliography

Social Contract Theory | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (no date c). Available at: https://iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/.
‘Freedom vs Security: Freedom at any cost? - YouTube’ (no date). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL2LMTRoWlA.
Marx, K. (1844) Estranged Labour. Available at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/labour.htm.
‘Karl Marx on Alienation - YouTube’ (no date). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ4VzhIuKCQ.
Pateman, C. (1988) The sexual contract. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1101325.
Mills, C.W. (2014) The racial contract. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Available at: https://www.degruyter.com/doi/book/10.7591/9780801471353.
Crenshaw, K. (no date) Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. Available at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=uclf.
Fanon, F. (1961) ‘The Wretched of the Earth’, in M. Cohen (ed.) Princeton Readings in Political Thought: Essential Texts from Plato to Populism. 2nd edn. Woodstock, UK: Princeton University Press, pp. 614–620. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=6396131&ppg=631.
King, M.L. (no date) ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’, in M. Cohen (ed.) Princeton Readings in Political Thought: Essential Texts from Plato to Populism. 2nd edn. Woodstock, UK: Princeton University Press, pp. 621–631. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=6396131&ppg=638.
Threadcraft, S. (2018) ‘Embodiment’, in The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Theory. Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1100500&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
Barbara Arneil (2009) ‘Disability, Self Image, and Modern Political Theory’, Political Theory, 37(2), pp. 218–242. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25655473?sid=primo.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Quiz 1		40%
Coursework	Quiz 2		60%

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

Supervisor: Dr Laura Montanaro, email: lmonta@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Laura Montanaro

Contact details: Module Supervisor: Dr Montanaro, lmonta@essex.ac.uk Module Administrator: Nicole Hicks govquery@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 371 hours, 20 (5.4%) hours available to students:
351 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

Further information

Department website: Government

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Module Directory

GV150-4-SP-CO:Politics and Power