Citizens And The State
- Social Sciences
- 100 level
- 3 credit units
- 167 pages
- 25 units
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of citizenship and its relationship with the state, with a focus on the Nigerian context. It explores the theories of the state, the rights and obligations of citizens, and the limitations of public authority. The course also examines issues such as legitimacy, political obligation, and the termination of citizenship, while also addressing the challenges of corruption and gender equality in citizenship.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 32.5 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, case study
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assignments
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of POL126, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- UNIT 1 PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL OBLIGATIONPage 42
- UNIT 2: PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL DUTYPage 47
- UNIT 3: THE MORAL CONSTRAINTS OF POLITICAL OBLIGATIONPage 52
- UNIT 4 PUBLIC/BASIC GOODSPage 57
- UNIT 5: CIVIL DISOBEDIENCEPage 63
- UNIT 1 LIBERTY/FREEDOMPage 70
- UNIT 2: THE CONCEPT AND PRACTICE OF CITIZENSHIPPage 75
- UNIT 3: CONTENTIOUS ISSUES OF CITIZENSHIPPage 80
- UNIT 4: GENDER AND CITIZENSHIPPage 89
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
POL126 · UNIT 1 STATE IN POLITICAL ANALYSIS
MODULE 1 centralised political authority possible. At times too, the diversity in social, economic, religious and ethnic terms makes subordination to a common political authority possible.
What you should be able to do
- Understand the relationship between citizens and the state.
- Analyze the theories of the state and citizenship.
- Evaluate the rights and obligations of citizens.
- Assess the limitations of public authority.
- Examine the challenges of corruption and gender inequality.
- Understand the process of terminating citizenship.
What it prepares you for
- Political Analyst
- Policy Advisor
- Civil Servant
- Human Rights Advocate
- Governance Expert
- Government
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- International Organizations
- Civil Service
- Political Consulting
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Citizenship and Rights
Unit 4: Gender and Citizenship
Requires understanding of historical and contemporary debates surrounding gender equality and social justice, including complex legal and political arguments.
- Module 4: Government Responsibilities
Unit 1: Theories of Rights
Requires critical analysis of the theoretical underpinnings of rights and their practical implications for governance, demanding a nuanced understanding of political philosophy.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 38 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: State in Political Analyses
Unit 1: State in Political Analysis · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: State in Political Analysis. Understand the definition of a state and its features.. Define the concept of a state and differentiate it from a political system.. Identify and explain the key features of a state, including effective governmental authority and sovereignty..
- Week 2Module 1: State in Political Analyses
Unit 2: Origin of the State · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Origin of the State. Explore the theory of divine origin and the force explanation.. Examine the theory of divine origin and its implications for state legitimacy.. Analyze the force explanation and its role in the formation of states..
- Week 3Module 1: State in Political Analyses
Unit 3: Theories of the State · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Theories of the State. Study the social contract theory and the Marxist theory.. Compare and contrast the social contract theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.. Understand the Marxist theory of the state and its critique of liberal democracy..
- Week 4Module 1: State in Political Analyses
Unit 4: The Nigerian State · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: The Nigerian State. Review the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods.. Analyze the historical context of the Nigerian state and its impact on citizen-state relations.. Evaluate the challenges of re-orienting the Nigerian society towards democratic values..
- Week 5Module 1: State in Political Analyses
Unit 5: Society and State Relations · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Society and State Relations. Understand the relationship between society and the state.. Examine the dislocations in state-society relations due to colonialism.. Assess the role of civil organizations in strengthening the relationship between the state and society..
- Week 6Module 2: Legitimacy and Political Obligation
Unit 1: Principles of Political Obligation · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Principles of Political Obligation. Explore the principles of fairness.. Define political obligation and its basis in social contract theory.. Understand the principles of fairness as they relate to a citizen's obligation to the state..
Unit 2: Principles of Natural Duty · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Principles of Natural Duty. Study the natural duty of justice.. Explain the principles of natural duty and their application to political obligation.. Differentiate between negative and positive natural duties..
- Week 7Module 2: Legitimacy and Political Obligation
Unit 3: Moral Constraints of Political Obligation · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Moral Constraints of Political Obligation. Understand the concept of morality.. Define morality and its role in political obligation.. Examine the conceptions of morality, including individualist ethics and trans-individual ethics..
Unit 4: Public/Basic Goods · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Public/Basic Goods. Study the provision of public goods.. Define public goods and their characteristics.. Understand the basic principles in the distribution of public goods..
- Week 8Module 2: Legitimacy and Political Obligation
Unit 5: Civil Disobedience · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Civil Disobedience. Explore the concept of civil disobedience.. Analyze civil disobedience as a form of protest and its features.. Understand the arguments for and against civil disobedience as an act of law violation..
- Week 9Module 3: Citizenship and Rights
Unit 1: Liberty/Freedom · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Liberty/Freedom. Understand the concept of liberty.. Define liberty and freedom and their significance in a political system.. Explain Berlin's two types of freedom: negative and positive liberty..
Unit 2: Citizenship and Rights · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Citizenship and Rights. Study the concept of citizenship.. Define citizenship and its relationship to rights and obligations.. Understand the different ways of acquiring citizenship..
- Week 10Module 3: Citizenship and Rights
Unit 3: Contentious Issues of Citizenship · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Contentious Issues of Citizenship. Explore the issues of statism and religion.. Analyze the contentious issues of citizenship, including statism and religion.. Understand the concepts of patriotism and loyalty in a diverse society..
Unit 4: Gender and Citizenship · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Gender and Citizenship. Study the concept of gendered citizenship.. Differentiate between sex and gender and their relevance to citizenship.. Understand the issues in contention in gendered citizenship..
- Week 11Module 3: Citizenship and Rights
Unit 5: Rights of Citizenship · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Rights of Citizenship. Understand the rights of a citizen.. Identify the rights of citizenship and their justifications.. Analyze the relationship between rights and responsibilities..
- Week 12Module 5: Obligations, Termination of Citizenship in Nigeria
Unit 1: General obligation of citizens in Nigeria · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: General obligation of citizens in Nigeria. Understand the general obligation of citizens in Nigeria.. Discuss the general obligations of citizens in Nigeria.. Understand the duties and responsibilities of citizens to the state..
Unit 2: Duties and responsibilities of Citizen to the State · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Duties and responsibilities of Citizen to the State. Understand the duties and responsibilities of citizens to the state.. Discuss the duties and responsibilities of citizens to the state.. Understand the entitlements of a citizen..
- Week 13Module 5: Obligations, Termination of Citizenship in Nigeria
Unit 3: What are the entitlements of a Citizen? · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: What are the entitlements of a Citizen?. Understand the entitlements of a citizen.. Discuss the entitlements of a citizen.. Understand the termination of citizenship in Nigeria..
Unit 4: Termination of citizenship in Nigeria · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Termination of citizenship in Nigeria. Understand the termination of citizenship in Nigeria.. Discuss the termination of citizenship in Nigeria.. Understand combating corruption in Nigeria..
Preparing for the exam
- Review all module introductions and summaries to reinforce key concepts.
- Create flashcards for key terms like 'sovereignty,' 'legitimacy,' and 'citizenship.'
- Focus on understanding the different theories of the state (social contract, Marxist) and their implications.
- Practice essay questions comparing and contrasting the perspectives of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.
- Analyze case studies of Nigerian political events to apply course concepts to real-world situations.
- Create a timeline of key events in the development of Nigerian citizenship and statehood.
- Pay close attention to the constitutional provisions related to rights, obligations, and limitations of power.
- Prepare arguments for and against civil disobedience, considering different ethical frameworks.
- Study the various forms of corruption and their impact on Nigerian society.
- Review all Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) and self-assessment exercises for potential exam questions.
Questions students ask about this course
What is POL126 about?
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of citizenship and its relationship with the state, with a focus on the Nigerian context. It explores the theories of the state, the rights and obligations of citizens, and the limitations of public authority. The course also examines issues such as legitimacy, political obligation, and the termination of citizenship, while also addressing the challenges of corruption and gender equality in citizenship.
How many units does POL126 have?
POL126, Citizens And The State, has 25 units across 5 modules, over 167 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is POL126?
POL126 carries 3 credit units, at 100 level in Social Sciences.
Is POL126 hard?
POL126 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.
How long does POL126 take to study?
About 32.5 hours of study, spread across its 25 units.
How is POL126 assessed?
POL126 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assignments and Final Examination.
What can I do with POL126?
Political Analyst, Policy Advisor, Civil Servant, Human Rights Advocate and Governance Expert.