PP2OID: Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy

Module code: PP2OID

Module provider: Philosophy; School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Charlotte Newey, email: c.newey@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 23 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

In this wide-ranging module, with an emphasis on contemporary political philosophy, we will explore some of the most important concerns for society. We will ask questions such as: Do existing accounts of justice need to be amended to acknowledge, explicitly, the concerns arising from race, gender, and disability? How should political philosophy respond to intersecting oppressions? What aspects of modern life threaten democracy? What is the best method by which to develop theories of justice? Is justice a local or global concern? How should we balance loyalty to our own state with concerns for global justice? 

This module will: 

• Enhance your ability to think reflectively and critically about the role of fairness in society. 
• Build upon your previous experience and independent-learning skills through a graduated and supervised programme of study in philosophy by conducting targeted research for written and oral assessment. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Explain the key aspects of some traditional accounts of justice in political philosophy. 
2. Evaluate whether the philosophical methods in traditional accounts can address real world problems of justice. 
3. Apply your critical thinking skills to explore the relationships between justice, oppression, race, class, gender and disability. 
4. Demonstrate strong analytical skills by interpreting and evaluating arguments within important and contemporary texts in political philosophy. 
5. Identify and respond thoughtfully to the best criticisms of your positions 
6. Cultivate effective communication skills by presenting and defending your own arguments about justice in written and oral formats. 

Module content

Topics covered on the module will typically include:  

• Theories of justice 
• Conceptions of oppression 
• Critiques of the traditional methods of political philosophy from the perspectives of race, feminism and/or disability. 
• Legitimacy and democracy. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module is taught through interactive lecture/seminars, which include working in breakout groups, to discuss philosophical views and applications, to reflect on set readings and the to share ideas with fellow students. Each week students will be introduced to different academic texts, and the arguments within them.  

Students are encouraged to be active in all classes, asking questions and trying to answer the questions posed by others. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs