Contemporary Political Analysis
- Social Sciences
- 300 level
- 3 credit units
- 211 pages
- 16 units
This course provides an insight into the nature of contemporary political analysis. It examines the meanings and nature of political analysis, also, it further examines Behaviouralism, Institutionalism and Political culture approaches in political analysis, including theories of dependency, modernisation, as well as political economy. Furthermore, the course delves in to examine the differences between political philosophy and political science, with their underlining differences between political science and the natural sciences. Lastly, it outlines and the approaches to analysing political events in areas of domestic politics and international relations.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 208 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical, case study
- Practical work
- No
- POL 211: Introduction to Political Analysis
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assessments
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of POL311, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
POL311 · UNIT 1: WHAT DOES POLITICAL ANALYSIS ENTAIL?
Political analysis covers some of the important philosophical questions underlying the epistemological, ontological, and methodological choices that all political scientists must make and relate these to current research and debates in the discipline. There are different types of political analysis. In the sections below, you will be introduced to these different types in contemporary political analysis.
What you should be able to do
- Examine the nature of contemporary political analysis.
- Present an overview of approaches in contemporary political analysis.
- Distinguish between philosophy and political science.
- Understand the science of politics.
- Apply different approaches in political science to a wide and diverse area of politics at the domestic and international levels.
What it prepares you for
- Political Analyst
- Policy Advisor
- Diplomat
- Researcher
- Public Administrator
- Government
- International Organizations
- Think Tanks
- Consulting
- Academia
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: Development-Oriented Approaches
Unit 1: Marxism
Marxist theory requires understanding of complex historical and economic concepts, including dialectical materialism and class struggle, which can be challenging for students without prior exposure to Marxist thought.
- Module 3: Behaviouralism and Emerging Approaches
Unit 2: New institutionalism
New institutionalism involves understanding different schools of thought and their critiques of behaviouralism, requiring students to grasp abstract theoretical concepts and their implications for political analysis.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 75 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Contemporary Political Analysis: An Introduction
Unit 1: What does Political Analysis Entail? · 4 hours
Read the introduction to Political Analysis.. Understand the meaning of political analysis.. Identify the goals of political analysis..
Unit 2: The divide in Political science · 3 hours
Explore the divide between normative and empirical analysis.. Understand the differences between political science and political philosophy..
- Week 2Module 1: Contemporary Political Analysis: An Introduction
Unit 3: Understanding the science of politics · 5 hours
Examine the distinctive features of a scientific enterprise.. Understand the scientific method as applied to political science.. Discuss the limitations of applying scientific methods to political phenomena..
- Week 3Module 2: Development-Oriented Approaches
Unit 1: Marxism · 4 hours
Understand the key tenets of Marxism.. Explore the historical development of Marxism.. Analyze the methodology of Marxism..
- Week 4Module 2: Development-Oriented Approaches
Unit 2: Modernisation theory · 3 hours
Define modernization theory.. Explore the stages of development according to Rostow.. Understand the role of Western countries in modernization..
Unit 3: Dependency theory · 3 hours
Define dependency theory.. Understand the relationship between core and periphery countries.. Analyze the criticisms of modernization theory from a dependency perspective..
- Week 5Module 2: Development-Oriented Approaches
Unit 4: The political economy approach · 5 hours
Define the political economy approach.. Understand the historical development of the political economy approach.. Analyze the assumptions of the political economy approach..
- Week 6Module 3: Behaviouralism and Emerging Approaches
Unit 1: Behaviouralism and Post-Behaviouralism · 6 hours
Define behaviouralism and post-behaviouralism.. Understand the emergence of the behavioural approach.. Analyze the criticisms against the behavioural movement..
- Week 7Module 3: Behaviouralism and Emerging Approaches
Unit 2: New institutionalism · 6 hours
Define new institutionalism.. Understand new institutionalism as a critique of behaviouralism.. Explore the three schools of new institutionalism..
- Week 8Module 3: Behaviouralism and Emerging Approaches
Unit 3: Political culture approach · 6 hours
Define the political culture approach.. Understand the development of the political culture approach.. Analyze the limitations of the political culture approach..
- Week 9Module 4: Political Systems and Power Approaches
Unit 1: Systems theory · 6 hours
Define the systems approach.. Understand the characteristics of a system.. Analyze the uses of systems theory..
- Week 10Module 4: Political Systems and Power Approaches
Unit 2: Structural functional analysis · 6 hours
Understand the emergence of structural-functional analysis.. Analyze the basic assumptions of structural functionalism.. Explore the functions performed by political structures..
- Week 11Module 4: Political Systems and Power Approaches
Unit 3: Group theory · 6 hours
Define group theory.. Understand the interest-group theory.. Analyze the criticisms against the Group theory..
- Week 12Module 5: Rational and Intentional Approaches
Unit 1: Game theory · 6 hours
Define game theory.. Understand misconceptions about the notion of game theory.. Explore examples of game theory..
- Week 13Module 5: Rational and Intentional Approaches
Unit 2: Rational choice theory · 6 hours
Define rational choice theory.. Understand the development of the rational choice approach.. Analyze the basic features of the rational choice approach..
Preparing for the exam
- Review all study units thoroughly, focusing on key concepts and definitions.
- Practice applying different theoretical approaches to real-world political events.
- Create concept maps linking different modules and units to understand the interconnectedness of the course material.
- Pay close attention to the distinctions between different approaches, such as behaviouralism, institutionalism, and rational choice theory.
- Practice answering essay questions and tutor-marked assignments to improve your writing and analytical skills.
- Allocate sufficient time for revision and review before the final examination.
- Focus on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to political analysis.
Questions students ask about this course
What is POL311 about?
This course provides an insight into the nature of contemporary political analysis. It examines the meanings and nature of political analysis, also, it further examines Behaviouralism, Institutionalism and Political culture approaches in political analysis, including theories of dependency, modernisation, as well as political economy. Furthermore, the course delves in to examine the differences between political philosophy and political science, with their underlining differences between political science and the natural sciences. Lastly, it outlines and the approaches to analysing political events in areas of domestic politics and international relations.
How many units does POL311 have?
POL311, Contemporary Political Analysis, has 16 units across 5 modules, over 211 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is POL311?
POL311 carries 3 credit units, at 300 level in Social Sciences.
Is POL311 hard?
POL311 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.
How long does POL311 take to study?
About 208 hours of study, spread across its 16 units.
How is POL311 assessed?
POL311 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assessments and Final Examination.
What do I need before starting POL311?
POL 211: Introduction to Political Analysis
What can I do with POL311?
Political Analyst, Policy Advisor, Diplomat, Researcher and Public Administrator.