Approaches to politics (I)
Not offered in 1995
4 points * 2 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton
This subject is designed for students intending to proceed to the honours year but may be taken by others. It covers the history of the discipline; debates about research methods and approaches since 1945; competing interpretations of politics and political knowledge. It tries to familiarise students with basic concepts, terms and positions which recur frequently in political analysis. It also discusses the nature of thesis writing and research and serves as a stepping-stone to the fourth-year program.
Assessment
One book review (1500 words): 50% * One short essay (1500 words): 50%
Prescribed texts
Leftwich A (ed.) What is politics? Blackwell, 1984
Recommended texts
Connolly W E The terms of political discourse Martin Robertson, 1983
Elster J Nuts and bolts for the social sciences CUP, 1990