According to Aristotle, humans are political animals. We only exist in and through political communities. How do we organise ourselves as communities? Who has power in these communities and how is it used? Do our communities lead us to ever greater forms of freedom and liberty or do we create the conditions for our own continued domination and subjection?
This course at Salford is dedicated to examining the most central and critical questions regarding our political world and its pasts and futures. It differs from other courses in its critical emphasis, wide range of module options, and smaller class sizes.
There is the opportunity to spend some or all of your second year studying abroad with excellent placement opportunities to boost your CV. Students who will be in the second year of their studies in 2012/13 or 2013/14 and spend the full year studying at an Erasmus (European) university may qualify for a tuition fee waiver.
As a politics student you will learn much more than how laws are made or how elections work. You will be taught a wide array of concepts and tools of research to make sense of the political and social world around you. Although a great many people today see the world that we live in as overwhelmingly complex, intimidating, and anarchic, the goal of this course is to enable you to understand and explain the political world.
As you progress through the course, you will develop and hone your knowledge and skills, gaining a firm foundation in politics and expanding and deepening your interests through a wide variety of module options and other opportunities. You will also develop your knowledge of history and international politics.
Your first year of study seeks to give you a grounding in understanding political behaviour and institutions; political theory; comparative political analysis; and international politics and history.
You will build on knowledge gained in your first year, and have the option to choose from a wide range of modules. You will take two core modules: Theories of Power and Domination and Researching in International Relations and Politics. The former expands your knowledge of political concepts and thinkers, and the latter prepares you for the dissertation in your third year. You can then choose four module options. You can spend one or two semesters studying abroad at one of our many partners in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia. You can also opt to develop your language skills and take a language module as part of the University-wide Language Programme.
In the third year you will complete a dissertation on a political subject of your choice. This is your opportunity to develop your ideas and research a topic that you have selected. The dissertation counts as two modules. You also choose four from a range of module options, or take advantage of our placement opportunities (Westminster Parliamentary Placement or the Channel M Placement).
Channel M placement - Channel M is a terrestrial channel financed by Granada TV and the Manchester Evening News. It broadcasts to 600,000 homes in the Greater Manchester area. In this placement you will take up the role of researcher in production teams led by media students. You will undertake background research for your programme, and learn about television research and production through hands-on practice. You will present, edit and interview as part of your placement, learning valuable organisational skills in the process.
Westminster Parliamentary Placement - An exciting and unique opportunity to work with a Westminster MP in London. You will put your research and communication skills to work in a challenging setting that places you at the centre of British politics.
Part-time students complete the course of study in six years, allowing them two years to complete each level. At each level, you may choose which modules to study in each year. A total of three modules must be completed each year, with a minimum of one module per semester.
Year 1
Introduction to Political Theory
This is a critical political theory module that covers the most important theories, concepts and thinkers in politics: Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Freud, Schmitt and others. You will develop a critical knowledge of liberalism, power, and the state.
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Britain and the World
In this module you will study the British political system, political parties, legislatures and executives, and elections. This module will also look at the international context, covering British foreign policy, decolonisation, and Britain's role in Europe and the 'special relationship' with the USA.
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International History I
This module examines international history from the 1890s until the post-war period. You will study the European balance of power system, Wilsonian internationalism, the rise of powers such as Japan, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and the outbreak of the Second World War.
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International History II
You will continue your studies in international history by exploring the Cold War in Europe and Asia, deconolisation, European integration, the superpower relationship and the rise of China and Japan. You will also study the impact of US foreign policy and the global 'war on terror'.
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Social Divisions and Inequality
You will study concepts of social division and inequality in advanced industrial societies, covering topics such race, gender, age, class and global inequalities.
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International Organisations and Global Governance
This module is an introduction to new forms of governance at the global level. You will study international organisations such as the EU, UN, NATO and a host of others, including the World Bank and the IMF, and assess their role in global politics, as well as their impact on states and individuals.
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Year 2
Core modules
Theories of Power and Domination
Central to this module is the study of power, and you will explore the theories of Weber, Marx, Gramsci, Foucault and Althusser, with a focus on the social foundations of political power, political power and the formation of the individual, and political power and the role of organisation and bureaucracy.
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Researching in International Relations and Politics
Central to this module is the study of power, and you will explore the theories of Weber, Marx, Gramsci, Foucault and Althusser, with a focus on the social foundations of political power, political power and the formation of the individual, and political power and the role of organisation and bureaucracy.
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Option modules typically include:
Labour's Century
This module introduces you to the history of the British Labour Party, its ideology, organisation and electoral strategy, while also focusing upon some of the most crucial periods, in particular that of Labour's early development as well as that of its apparent crisis and transformation.
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The United States and Vietnam 1941-75
This module provides an in-depth examination of the Vietnam War and the cost of US involvement. You will study US foreign and military policies and assess how different US presidents responded to events.
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Political Communication: Media and Democracy
This module explores the relationship between the media and politics in liberal democracies. You will focus on the nature of political media and reporting, the media's influence on politics, and how political actors use the media. You will also study the rise of the internet and new media technologies and what this means for democracy.
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International Politics and the Media
This module explores the claims and evidence about the impact of global media on international politics, particularly on the dynamics of international affairs, power relations among governments, foreign policy-making, conflict, security, diplomacy, development, and civil society.
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Political Sociology
This module examines a number of sociological and political thinkers and problems fundamental for understanding contemporary forms of rule/domination. You will critically explore modern democracy, bureaucracy and the state. The issues of authority, domination and obedience, liberty and subjection, hegemony, conformity and resistance will be a regular focus of attention.
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Poverty and Development in International Political Economy
This module focuses on the impact of globalisation in relation to poverty and development. You will consider the role of the industrialised western states in the global economy, as well as post-colonial states, critically examining north-south relations.
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Contemporary Security Studies
This module introduces you to 'traditional' and 'new' approaches to defining and conceptualising security. You will study some of the most important issues on the international security agenda such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, resource wars and energy security, the privatisation of warfare, peacekeeping, pandemics and health security, and environmental degradation.
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Contemporary Security Studies
This module introduces you to 'traditional' and 'new' approaches to defining and conceptualising security. You will study some of the most important issues on the international security agenda such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, resource wars and energy security, the privatisation of warfare, peacekeeping, pandemics and health security, and environmental degradation.
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Intelligence, Security and Politics in Britain 1909-1994
This module examines the British intelligence community from the birth of the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6) in 1909 through to the 1994 Intelligence Services Act. You will explore its activities primarily within the context of British domestic policy, while considering the links between the worlds of intelligence and politics.
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Year 3
Corruption in Contemporary Politics
Studying political corruption in detail, in this module you will explore the dynamics and impact of this problem for western democracies through key theories and case studies.
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The Politics of European Union Enlargement
You will learn about the history of EU enlargements, tracing the expansion of the EU to include more member states. You will also study the key ideas behind enlargement and the concepts that guide it.
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European Union Simulation
Aimed at giving you a taste of EU decision making and negotiation, in this module you are assigned to national, EU institutional and other teams and play your role in a simulated decision making scenario that concludes with a final one-day European Council 'summit'.
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The Rise and Fall of Socialist Internationals
This module examines the rise and fall of the main socialist traditions from their origins in 19th century Britain and France to their global spread in the 20th century. You will study key aspects of the course of socialism in Germany, Britain, Sweden, Russia, and China.
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Modernity and its Discontents
This course introduces you to a number of key social and political thinkers who have sought to understand the singularity of the modern epoch. Some of the topics you will study include liberalism, fascism, and colonialism, using film and other methods. The module is expected to help you identify and critically assess some of the major problems and prospects of modern and contemporary capitalist societies.
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International Political Economy
Develop your knowledge of political economy; this module aims to help develop critical ways of thinking about the contemporary world of work and the political economies of production in our post-industrial world.
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E-Democracy: Politics and the New Media
This module assesses the growing influence of new media technologies (internet, email, mobile phones) on democracy. You will explore questions of censorship, voting, power relations and the effects of new media technologies in society.
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Ethics in International Relations
This module explores the place of ethical and moral questions in global politics, covering democracy and human rights, humanitarian intervention, just wars, foreign aid and sanctions, and the problems of international society and realising a universal order. You will engage with critical approaches to these topics and explore normative questions.
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The Politics of Islamism
In this module, you will assess Islamism comparing it to fundamentalisms in other religions. It includes an examination of Muslim responses to Western modernity, and the development of modern Islamism from the Muslim Brotherhood to al Qaeda, as well as wider questions of the adaptability of Islamism to democratic practices.
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Placement
There is also the opportunity to take advantage of one of our placement opportunities (Westminster Parliamentary Placement or the Channel M Placement) for one semester
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