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2015/16 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
SLSP3085 Governing Cultures, Identities and Emotions
20 creditsClass Size: 45
Module manager: Shona Hunter
Email: s.d.j.hunter@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2015/16
Pre-requisite qualifications
At least 20 credits at Level 1and 2 (40 in total) from a social science related discipline or the appropriate discovery theme.This module is approved as a discovery module
Module summary
- Ever wondered why policy and politics fails? - What roles do love, hate, hope and passion play in this process? - Why is it that certain actors and groups are included in this process and why others are excluded? - Who gets the blame when policy fails? - What does that mean for the provision of welfare, social policy and the achievement of social and income equality? This module develops higher level knowledge and understanding of the social and emotional dynamics of policy making. It is less interested in the technical processes of politics and more in introducing students to the hidden social and emotional dynamics of contemporary policy. It connects the sorts of issues which tend to form the basis of contemporary public and media interest such as identity, emotions and the personal troubles of public figures with more formal academic concerns around systemic and distributed power, agency and politics within contemporary multicultural Western style democracies like the UK. It also draws examples from other contexts like the USA, Australia, Canada. The range of social science concepts considered include: - Governance/governmentality- Institutions- Discourses- Networks- Agency / power- Identity / subjectivity- Emotions / affect- Racialisation / genderingObjectives
This module builds on students' knowledge of core contemporary debates around governance and policy making. The module considers competing and complimentary explanations of the shift from government to governance from across the social sciences. The aim is to broaden students understanding of governance, policy making and social policy as a technical matter, developing higher level understanding of the social, cultural and emotional dynamics of governance processes.This is primarily a social policy module. However, its objective is to deepen critical analysis of social policy through the use of a range of critical cultural and sociological theory. The aim is to give students a new way of engaging with an analysing policy and policy issues which builds on the sort of critical analysis developed at levels 1 and 2.
By the end of the module students will be able to bring together current debates around policy issues, mechanisms and process with contemporary critical cultural theories to develop an interdisciplinary critical analysis of social policy and governance processes.
The module is rooted in research led teaching. The syllabus is based on primary empirical research into the area of governance conducted by the module convenor over the last 10 years. Lectures 7-10 use case studies from this empirical research to demonstrate the relevance of theoretical approaches introduced in lectures 2-6. Therefore, a further core objective is to enhance students' ability to connect real life, research and theoretical knowledge of governance.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the module students should:
- understand the significance of ideas of governance for understanding the processes and mechanisms of social policy making;
- have in depth knowledge of the range of actors, institutions and discourses which make-up governance and policy making processes at the UK;
- demonstrate higher level knowledge and understanding of a range of different theoretical perspectives for understanding historical, social, cultural and emotional dimensions of governance;
- be able to use these theories to develop enhanced critical analysis of contemporary governance in terms of its relationships to different governing cultures, social identities of ability, gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality and the life course and the emotions such as anger, hope, fear, anxiety, love and care;
- be able to relate this knowledge about governance to examples of welfare practice and social policies in health, social care, education and equalities.
WK 1: Introduction to the module: Introducing the folk devils of contemporary governance from killer doctors, negligent social workers to billionaire bankers and war mongering sleazy politicians
WK 2: Rethinking governance in contemporary societies
WK 3: Rethinking institutions: Governing soldiers, mothers and others
WK 4: Racialised and gendered states: discourses, identities, inclusions and exclusions
WK 5: Why and how the emotions matter in governance
WK 6: Emotional economies and governance & advice on essays
WK 7: Narrating governance: Self governance and the negotiation of power and identity
WK 8: The creation of governing folk devils in the NHS
WK 9: Working through anger and patience in education
WK 10: Mobilising hope for equal and socially cohesive futures
WK 11: course round-up, revision and final essay advice.
- Ever wondered why policy and politics fails?
- What roles do love, hate, hope and passion play in this process?
- Why is it that certain actors and groups are included in this process and why others are excluded?
- Who gets the blame when policy fails?
- What does that mean for the provision of welfare, social policy and the achievement of social and income equality?
This module develops higher level knowledge and understanding of students to the social and emotional dynamics of policy making. It is less interested in the technical processes of politics and more in introducing students to the hidden social and emotional dynamics of contemporary policy. It connects the sorts of issues which tend to form the basis of contemporary public and media interest such as identity, emotions and the personal troubles of public figures with more formal academic concerns around systemic and distributed power, agency and politics.
The range of social science concepts considered include:
- Governance/governmentality
- Institutions
- Discourses
- Networks
- Agency / power
- Identity / subjectivity
- Emotions / affect
- Racialisation / gendering.
On completion of the module students will have enhanced a range of general analytic, communication and oral skills.
In addition they will have developed:
- substantive higher level knowledge of UK governance and social policy making processes (with reference to health, social care, education and equality and diversity policy);
- deep theoretical knowledge of critical cultural theory (including feminism and postcolonial and queer theory), psychodynamic and psychosocial theory, theories of governance, governmentality and neo-institutionalist theory as these can be applied to social policy;
- an enhanced understanding of social policy empirical research, how this relates to theoretical knowledges and social policy practice;
- the ability to synthesis these substantive, theoretical and everyday knowledges to analyse contemporary trends in governance.
Skills outcomes
On completion of the module students will have enhanced a range of general analytic, communication and oral skills.
In addition they will have developed:
- substantive higher level knowledge of UK governance and social policy making processes (with reference to health, social care, education and equality and diversity policy);
- deep theoretical knowledge of critical cultural theory (including feminism and postcolonial and queer theory), psychodynamic and psychosocial theory, theories of governance, governmentality and neo-institutionalist theory as these can be applied to social policy;
- an enhanced understanding of social policy empirical research, how this relates to theoretical knowledges and social policy practice;
- the ability to synthesis these substantive, theoretical and everyday knowledges to analyse contemporary trends in governance.
Syllabus
WK 1: Introduction to the module: Introducing the folk devils of contemporary governance from killer doctors, negligent social workers to billionaire bankers and war mongering sleazy politicians
WK 2: Rethinking governance in contemporary societies
WK 3: Rethinking institutions: Governing soldiers, mothers and others
WK 4: Racialised and gendered states: discourses, identities, inclusions and exclusions
WK 5: Why and how the emotions matter in governance
WK 6: Emotional economies and governance & advice on essays
WK 7: Narrating governance: Self governance and the negotiation of power and identity
WK 8: The creation of governing folk devils in the NHS
WK 9: Working through anger and patience in education
WK 10: Mobilising hope for equal and socially cohesive futures
WK 11: course round-up, revision and final essay advice
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Lecture | 11 | 1.00 | 11.00 |
| Seminar | 11 | 1.00 | 11.00 |
| Private study hours | 178.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 22.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 | ||
Private study
- 33 hours preparation for lectures- 80 hours preparation for assessment
- 40 hours preparation for seminars
- 25 hours independent research for seminar presentations
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
- Attendance at seminars- Participation in seminars
- Submission of seminar assignments
- Assessed essay.
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Essay | 5,000 words | 90.00 |
| Assignment | 500 words weekly | 10.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 28/03/2014
Browse Other Catalogues
- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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