Module Identifier
IP31120
Module Title
POSTSTRUCTURALIST POLITICS
Academic Year
2008/2009
Co-ordinator
Professor Jenny Edkins
Semester
Intended for use in future years
Pre-Requisite
IP31020

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Seminars / Tutorials 11 Hours. Regular tutorials held (11 x 1 hour)
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Discussion + Tutorial Contribution  15%
Semester Assessment Presentation of paper including circulating draft  10%
Semester Assessment Essay: 6,000 - 7,000 words  60%
Semester Assessment 1 x 1,500 word draft paper  10%
Semester Assessment Initial Bibliography and reading plan  5%
Supplementary Exam Students may, subject to Faculty approval, have the opportunity to resit this module, normally during the supplementary examination period. For further clarification please contact the Teaching Programme Administrator in the Department of International Politics. 

Learning Outcomes

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

At the end of the module, students will be able to:
- demonstrate a specialised knowledge of an area of poststructuralist work
- show evidence of analytical skills and independent reading
- produce an extended piece of written work
- profit from tutorial discussions of their work

Brief description

A guided reading course where students work on a topic of their choice within a specified area of poststructural politics

Content

Each year, one of the following will be selected by the Module Convenor as a framework for study:

(1) a study of the work of a particular philosopher or social theorist such as, for example, Agamben, Baudrillard, Bhabha, Butler, Deleuze, Irigaray, Kristeva, Nancy, Lefebvre, Virilio; or
(2) an analysis of a specific method of enquiry, for example, discourse analysis, semiotics, film theory, image analysis; or
(3) an exploration of a concept of particular concern in this area, for example, identity, territory, the political, temporality, space, borders, movement; or
(4) a study of a contemporary international relations or postcolonial scholar who draws on this work.

The module is a guided reading course: there are no lectures or seminars. Students first develop their topic in conjunction with the module co-ordinator. Regular small group tutorials give students the chance to discuss issues arising from their reading as it progresses with the tutor and other module members. Students prepare an extended paper on a topic of their choice; they receive feedback on an assessed draft and bibliography early in the module and have the opportunity to present their work to the tutorial group.

Aims

This module, which is introductory, allows students to develop a critical appreciation and understanding of poststructural work through a reading of primary writings. They will then be well placed to go on if they wish to study scholars of international politics or other disciplines who draw on this work. The module concentrates on giving a flavour of the excitement of these approaches, rather than examining the debates between postmodernism and its critics.

Transferable skills

The module helps students to develop the ability to work individually and as a group. Each student has to set their own goals and methods of work. Time management, self motivation and focus are very important skills needed for this. In the weekly tutorials students are expected not only to be able to outline and present their own ideas and profit from critical comments from their peers, they are also expected to engage with their colleagues' projects in a constructive and helpful way.

10 ECTS Credits

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6