| Unit name | Global Civil Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM0022 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Rossdale |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit examines the international politics of global civil society (GCS). It provides an introduction to central theoretical debates about the nature of contemporary civil society actors, and explores a series of debates relating to the social, ethical and political role of GCS. The first part of the module identifies the main theoretical approaches for understanding GCS, which differently situate GCS with respect to international governance, international institutions, NGOs and social movements, and the international public. We discuss what kinds of politics and publics are included within different accounts of GCS, and importantly, who and what is excluded. The second part of the unit explores three vectors through which GCS operates; human rights, development, and war. All three are areas where different civil society actors attempt to speak, act, operate and agitate in the name of and on behalf of global publics. We look at how GCS actors work with and against international institutions, and at the often violent contradictions and complicities that accompany apparently progressive civil society programs. The third part of the unit considers GCS from the perspective of actors who are often excluded from dominant conceptions of citizenship: indigenous people and migrants. We look at how forms of civil society led by these actors challenge established political conventions and imagine new forms of international relations.
Unit aims:
After completing this units students will have acquired:
The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities
Formative assessment: seminar presentations supported by a handout. The seminar presentation supported by a handout provides formative assessment of (1) the student's grasp of the substantive issues associated with this unit and (2) the student's ability to engage with that substantive material in an articulate, concise and persuasive way both verbally and in written form (learning outcomes 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9).
Summative Assessment consists of a 4,000-word essay (100%) (learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9).
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. POLIM0022).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
