POLI20532 Course Outline 1112 - School of Social Sciences

POLI20532: Course Guide 2011-12
COURSE INFORMATION
Credit Rating: 20 credits: (The University of Manchester’s Academic Standards
Code of Practice specifies that a 20 credit course is expected to require about 200
hours work in total from every student).
Taught in: Semester Two (January – June 2012)
Pre-requisites: none
Scope of the Course:
This course will analyse the development of post-war British politics, and
especially such themes as the nature and durability of the consensus over social
and economic policy that may have existed. The fortunes and ideologies of the
main parties of government will be examined, as will questions such as racism
and immigration, the role of trade unions, the national question in Scotland and
Wales.
Aim of the course:
The aim of this course is to provide an analysis of postwar British politics, looking
especially at such questions as the nature and durability of the consensus over social
and economic policy that may have existed.
Objectives of the course:
• By the completion of this course students will be familiar with the developments in
government and party politics since 1940, and with the construction of political debates
and agendas around such issues as affluence, social class, modernisation and national and
ethnic identity
• Students will have achieved an understanding of modern British politics and be able to
express themselves in coursework and assessment assignments.
• Students will have developed an ability to evaluate the changing fortunes and political
character of the principal political parties and to locate these in relation to wider
developments in politics, culture and society.
• Students will develop skills in assessing both contemporary and secondary political texts
and employing these in a critical way in both written assessments and class discussion.
Course Organisation; There will be weekly lecture and tutorial. The lecture and tutorial
programme is outlined below. Any general enquiries about course organisations may be
addressed to Andrew Russell.
Assessment of Work: This course is assessed via essay and exam work. There is a
compulsory assessed essay of 2,000 words worth 40% of the final mark, and a single twohour
examination worth 60% of the final mark. Assessment essay topics are drawn from
part one of the course. The exam paper will comprise two sections corresponding to
parts two and three of the course, and students will be required to answer two
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