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PL52116: Democracy v technocracy: modernity and risk

[Page last updated: 16 August 2024]

Academic Year: 2024/25
Owning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Credits: 10 [equivalent to 20 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 200
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CWES 70%, CWRI 30%
Assessment Detail:
  • Presentation of a critique of a case of Risk Management and Communication. (CWRI 30% - Qualifying Mark: 50)
  • Essay (CWES 70% - Qualifying Mark: 50)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the unit, you will be able to:
  • Critically assess the on-going social, cultural, and political impact of the end of the Cold War dissolution of Left and Right.
  • Situate the emergence of identity politics within its proper historical context as an attempt to forge new political bonds.
  • Describe and assess the rise of anti-human discourse from the emergence of a therapy culture to limits on freedom of expression.
  • Examine the crisis of official and unofficial authority and the various mechanisms to compensate for this.
  • Critically assess the emergence of risk analysis in its proper historical context and learn how this is used to contain the demos.



Synopsis: Covering the period from 1989 to the modern day, you'll explore the debate on the demise of the liberal world order. Study the impact of social transformations driven by depoliticization and disengagement, as well as the responses to these, exploring a variety of cases in detail. You'll learn to contextualise the advent of risk management, safety culture and the prioritisation of supposed evidence over moral values, and apply this to emerging national and international crises and discourses.

Content: The Unit introduces Fukuyama's thesis about the 'End of History' and continuously questions this through numerous exemplars. The Unit also examines how risk management has come to serve as one of the new organising principles of a depoliticised age. The Unit will provide opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of some key political concepts, including identity, authority, democracy, and freedom.

Course availability:

PL52116 is Optional on the following courses:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2024/25 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2025/26 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2024/25.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
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