Global Politics: Populism, Identity & Inequality

On successful completion of this module, you will be better prepared to: 

• Engage with a variety of approaches of exploring global political issues and international relations. 
• Synthesise a range of relevant frameworks. 
• Develop skills in sourcing relevant empirical data.  
• Design and conduct a social research project using appropriate methods. 
• Collaborate effectively with others to complete a group project. 

Module topics will include: 

• Populism in global contexts. 
• Theories and practice of nations and nationhood and political sovereignty. 
• Theories of global political conflict, such as the ‘Clash of Civilizations’ and ‘soft power v. hard power’ theses; tensions in identities such as national v. ethnic, or cultural cleavages.  
• The shifting bases of power and negotiations within intra-state relations and relations between states and global institutions.  
• Different approaches to identities within societies, such as secularism and multiculturalism. 
• Notions of ‘the global’, globalisation and de-globalisation.  
• Introduction to social science research techniques and options - literature reviews, qualitative and quantitative data production and analysis.  
• Writing research and policy reports. 

The learning and teaching approach throughout the module is collaborative and interactive, with in-class discussion built into every session. This becomes explicitly self-directed in weeks 13-20 of the module when you’ll devise, design, execute and write-up a political science research project of your own choosing. For these weeks, the learning and teaching approach is intended to facilitate your research through providing resources, an overall structure and ongoing formative oral feedback week-to-week as the project progresses.  

You will receive written summative feedback on your written essay via the module VLE within 2 weeks of submission. You will receive written summative feedback on the group research project via the module VLE after the end of the module. Formative assessment is provided through classroom group and individual feedback on a session-by-session basis.  You will also receive specific and structured ongoing in-class oral formative feedback during the development of the group research project in weeks 13-20 of the module. Summative assessment and feedback will be returned with a disclaimer that marks may be modified by later markers or external examiners. 

Coursework: 1,500-word essay (50%)
Coursework: 2,000-word group research project (50%)

• Requirements: You are expected to attend all classes and undertake approximately 85 hours of independent study in total during the module. Independent study includes reading and preparation for classes, researching and writing coursework assignments and preparing for other assessments.
• This module is designed as an undergraduate Level 6 module. For an explanation of levels, view the Imperial Horizons Level Descriptors page.‌‌