Political action is collective action among people who share beliefs. This module explores the most important formulations of these collective views. It explores political ideologies that defend the status quo, those who wish to reform it, and those that seek a radically different political reality.

You'll explore traditional topics in philosophy through contemporary authors and everyday perspectives. For instance, you'll examine what constitutes ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sex and explore the nature and limitations of notions of consent; critique the Aristotelian concept of friendship in the era of vicarious, internet friendships and social media; and analyse Cartesian scepticism through the prism of ‘race’. 

This introduction covers both microeconomics (the affairs of individual consumers, firms and government) and macroeconomics (the study of the economy as a whole).

This module provides an introduction and explanation of the plural theories and models of policy making before applying these theories and models to the practice of policy-making, via a series of case studies of policy-making in practice.

You'll gain the tools to understand and explain developments in the global political economy and be introduced to international political economy, one of the main sub-disciplines of politics and international relations. You will trace the evolution of ideas, institutions and policies related to global financial markets, transnational production, global division of labour, gender and climate change.

Examine whether, and how, science is different from other modes of investigating and thinking about the world. You'll study relevant contemporary controversies (e.g. the relation between science and religion, and creationism, as well as other alternative world views), the exclusionary nature of many of its technological fruits, and the contingency of the Western model of science.

Examine theories of gender relations, looking at masculinity and femininity, the relationship of gender and sexuality and the intersections of gender with other social divisions. 

Rethinking Political Economy enables students to explore plural perspectives drawn from the history of ideas in political economy from its early development in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the contemporary rethinking of political economy. Particular focus is placed upon the confrontation both of historical power imbalances, notably the relocation of the previously marginalized perspectives of female political economists to the very centre and cutting edge of the discipline, and urgent issues of human development, notably inequalities in income and wealth, and mitigation of and adaptation to human-induced climate change

In this module you will begin the journey of becoming an independent and autonomous political researcher. You will learn more about how Political Research – especially that conducted within the School of Politics and International Studies – is produced, and be equipped with the understanding and skills necessary to design your own political research project. This module will prepare you for the Final Year Project and for putting into practice your own programme of research.