Relevance of Dependency theory today?

Department of Politics and International Relations

School of Social Sciences

4PIRS003W Dilemmas of International Development

2020 / 2021

 

 

 

 

 

MODULE CONVENOR

Dr Farhang Morady

f.morady@westminster.ac.uk

Office Hours: Tuesday 12:00-14:00.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Welcome and Introduction

 

Welcome to the module. This handbook provides all the information you need regarding the module’s content and assessment requirements. It includes the module’s aims and learning outcomes, assessment weighting and assessment criteria, the lecture and seminar topics, essay questions and reading lists. If you have any questions, please do ask the module leader or your seminar leader to explain.

 

 

Module Aims

 

This module introduces some of the ideas about development that will be fundamental to students of Development, International Relations and Politics. It asks you to think critically about what is meant by the term ‘development’, why it is important and how the practicalities should be approached. You will come across different views, not only about how to raise the living standards of the world’s poor but also whether it is the business of richer countries to intervene. These debates will be raised throughout the module.

 

We start by looking at politics of development in the 21st Century, going back to the origin of the term before and during the Cold War in the mid-20th Century. This is contested with evolving definitions and much controversy, especially with adoption of Millennium Development Goals during the post-1980s, in the era of Globalisation. We examine different theories and approaches to development but not in detail as they will be considered later in the different modules in the second year. However, the ‘grand’ development theories and approaches such as modernisation, dependency and Neo-Liberalism will be offered to give students the opportunity of assessing their relevance to the lives of people in developing countries, and their roles in assisting or hindering their progress in a global world whether in terms of distribution of wealth, political change or human rights.

 

 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, the successful student will be able to:

· Distinguish and evaluate the main theoretical perspectives on development and dependency;

· Identify and analyse the most relevant concepts relating to the problems of political development;

· Analyse and assess the attempts to establish enduring and flourishing systems of democracy in the developing world;

· Investigate processes of economic, social and political and spatial change in developing economies;

· Examine the experience of development at the local level;

· Effectively communicate views about politics and society in post-colonial states in writings, seminars, discussions and presentations.

 

Successful completion of this unit should enable you to understand the international patterns of development and varied approaches to developmental issues. This knowledge will prepare you for a wide range of Intermediate level units, particularly in Development Studies, Politics and International Relations. As well as refining your essay writing and presentation skills (see assessment criteria), you will also become familiar with a wide range of sources which will enable you to keep in touch with developmental issues.

 

 

Teaching and learning methods

The module is composed of online lectures and online seminars. These will be supplemented by the mid semester progress check in order to support students with adapting to new higher education environment.

 

The weekly online lecture programme is designed to develop knowledge of development concepts, theories and issues related to developing countries.

 

The seminars will be based on guided readings to deepen the knowledge of each weekly topic, with discussion in small groups.

 

Week 6 will also be dedicated to meeting every student individually online to discuss their progress and plan for the future coursework.

Location and Teaching team

Lectures: Pre-recorded, (Asynchronous), Online Blackboard Ultra

Seminar: Online Blackboard Ultra, live (Synchronous), check your group and time.

 

Attendance will be electronically recorded – please logon on time!

 

 

Dr Farhang Morady

Tuesday 12:00-14:00 via Microsoft Teams

Email: f.morady@westminster.ac.uk

 

Dr Hannah Cross

Thursday 13:00 – 15:00 via Microsoft Teams

Email: h.cross@westminster.ac.uk

 

Dr Ipshita Basu

Tuesdays 10:00 -noon, Wednesdays 9:00-10:00 via Microsoft teams

Email: I.Basu@westminster.ac.uk

 

Dr Sahar Taghdisi Rad

Tuesdays 14:00-16:00 via Microsoft Teams

Email: s.rad@westminster.ac.uk

 

Essential Reading

 

· The reading list is subdivided in accordance with the lecture topics. The items listed are intended as a guide to some of the basic literature on each theme. All of the items are important, although those with an asterisk are the most influential papers and books. Please see also your online reading lists.

 

· Hopper, P. (2012), Understanding Development, London: Polity.

 

· Baylis J., Smith S. & Owens, P. (eds) (2010) The Globalization of World Politics, Oxford University Press.

General Reading

 

Selecting from the following books will give you a pretty good idea about both politics and society in developing countries. The detailed reading for specific lectures is provided below. These books are available in the library; it would be useful if you spend an hour or so to scan some of these books to familiarise yourself with the content and the locations of the books.

 

Bayliss, J. and Smith, S. (2010), The Globalization of World Politics, London: OUP.

 

Chant, S. (2007), Gender, Generation and Poverty, London: Edward Elgar Publishers.

Haynes, J. (2008), Development Studies, Short Introductions, London: Polity.

 

Kamrava, M. (2000), Politics & Society in the Developing World, London: Routledge.

Kiely, R. (1995), Sociology and Development, UCL Press.

 

Potter, R. Binns, T., Elliott, J. and Smith, D. (2008), Geographies of Development: An Introduction to Development Studies, 3rd ed. Pearson.

 

World Bank (2000), World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty, London: OUP.

 

 

In addition to this, you should look at other relevant sources and to keep an eye on current issues of major development journals such as:

 

· Development and Change,

· World Development,

· International Development Planning Review,

· Third World Quarterly,

· European Journal of Development Research,

· Environment and Urbanisation,

· Economic Development and Cultural Change,

· Progress in Development Studies,

· Journal of Development Studies,

· Review of African Political Economy,

· Bulletin of Latin American Research,

· Latin American Perspectives,

· Latin American Research Review,

· Journal of Asian Studies.

 

Useful general Websites include

 

www.worldbank.org (World Bank website)

www.undp.org (United Nations Development Programme website)

www.iadb.org (Inter-American Development Bank website)

www.ilo.org (International Labour Organisation website)

www.DFID.org.uk (website for Department for International Development, UK)

www.oxfam.org (website for Oxfam UK)

www.undp-povertycentre.org (website of UNDP’s International Poverty Centre, Brasilia)

www.ids.ac.uk/publicat/briefs.html (policy briefings from the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex; see also ID21 at the same site which posts news on recent research on development in the UK).

 

The following websites provide interesting tools for visualising international data:

 

http://globalis.gvu.unu.edu -interactive world atlas using UN data for human development, Millennium Development Goals.

 

www.worldmapper.org – developed by Sheffield University with maps on a range of development-related issues such as education, terms of trade, growth, health, gender etc.

 

Other website addresses with particular relevance to specific themes are given under individual lecture headings and/or in the context of specific references.

 

 

 

 

1. Global Patterns of Development: Definition and Possibility

LECTURER: FARHANG MORADY

 

This introductory lecture provides an overview of the course: it will deal with the

origins of ‘development’ and controversies surrounding the term. It will consider

how the Western notion of quantitative changes in development continues to

influence the ‘measurement’ of development. The readings are broadly sub

divided to correspond with the main thrust of each of the lectures.

 

 

Essential Reading

 

Berger, M.T. (1994), ‘The End of the Third World?’ in Third World Quarterly,15: 257-275.

Chant, S. and McIlwaine, C. (2009) Geographies of Development in the 21st Century,

Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, Ch. 1, 2 and 11.

Hulme, D, & Shepherd, A, (2003), Conceptualising chronic poverty, in World Development 31(3): 403-424. This issue of World Development is devoted to chronic poverty, and contains a range of relevant material.

Thomas, A. (2000), Poverty and the ‘end of development. In Allen and Thomas Poverty and development into 21st C, Oxford University, Oxford, Ch 1.

 

 

Further Reading

 

Desai, V. and Potter, R. (eds.) (2008), The Companion to Development Studies, 2nd edition, Hodder Arnold.

Dickenson, J. et al (1996) Geography of the Third World, 2nd ed, Routledge, Ch.1 & 2

Potter, R et al (2004), Geographies of Development, Harlow: Pearson, 2nd ed, Ch 2.

 

 

Seminar Questions

 

1) What is development?

2) How should development be measured?

3) Is there such a thing as political development?

 

 

 

2. Colonialism: continuity and change

LECTURER: IPSHITA BASU

 

 

This lecture covers the process of colonisation, and its impact and legacies (e.g. in

terms of poverty and development). It offers a historical and geographical

approach in understanding development as both processes of change as well as

forms of conscious intervention by outside forces, colonisers. To understand

change and intervention over the last three centuries, we have to take a look at

what capitalism is and how ‘capitalist development’ transforms different

societies.

 

 

Essential Reading

 

Bernstein, H. (2000), ‘Colonialism, capitalism, development’, in Allen, T. & Thomas, A., Poverty and development into 21st C, Ch 11 & 12.

Escobar, A., (1995). Encountering Development. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chapter 1, pp.3-14

Doty, R. L., (1996). Imperial Encounters: The Politics of Representation in North-South Relations. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Introduction, pp. 1-25.

 

 

Further Reading

 

Desai, V. & Potter, R. (eds.) (2008) The Companion to Development Studies, 2nd ed, Hodder Arnold.

Dickenson, J. et al (1996) Geography of the Third World, 2nd ed, Routledge, Ch 1 & 2.

Hoogvelt, A. (2001), Globalization and the Postcolonial World, Part 1, Palgrave.

Mishra, P. (2013) From the Ruins of Empire: The Revolt against the West and the Remaking of Asia, London: Penguin.

 

 

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. Colonialism was instrumental in the development or underdevelopment of the Third World. Do you agree with this proposition?

2. Discuss the varied impacts of colonialism on poverty in the world today. Please include illustrative data and a map when delivering your paper.

 

 

 

3. Modernisation

LECTURER: Sahar Taghdisi Rad

 

This lecture covers the theories of modernisation. It considers their relevance in both understanding and determining patterns of development – the main characteristics and contributions of modernisation theory to development thinking in the 1950s. Although modernisation theory was very much a product of its time, a key theme in these lectures is the extent to which modernisation is still valid today.

 

Essential Reading

 

Hoogvelt, A. (2001), Globalisation and the postcolonial world, London, Macmillan, Ch 2.

Kiely, R. (1995), Sociology and development, UCL Press, London, Ch 3 & 4.

Larrain, J. (1989), Theories of development, Polity Press, Cambridge, Ch 4 & 6.

 

 

Further Reading

 

Harrison, D. (1988) The Sociology of Modernization and Development, Unwin Hyman, pp 1-61.

Hewitt, T. (2000) ‘Half a Century of Development’, in Allen, Tim and Thomas, Alan (eds) Poverty and Development into the 21st Century, OUP, pp 289-308.

Webster, A. (1990), Introduction to the Sociology of Development (2nd ed.), Macmillan, Basingstoke, Ch 3, pp.41-64.

 

 

Seminar Question

 

1. Do modernisation theories explain development adequately? Discuss critically.

 

 

 

4. Underdevelopment & Dependency Theory

LECTURER: HANNAH CROSS

 

This lecture covers dependency theories. It considers their relevance in understanding patterns of development. We look at the criticisms of modernisation theory, and in particular, the development of a radical alternative approach in dependency theory. Developed in Latin America in the 1960s, dependency theory highlights the concept of underdevelopment and is based on a core-periphery model of the world. In particular we will investigate the historical ways in which Third World countries on the ‘periphery’ are actively underdeveloped by the ‘core’ First World nations.

 

Essential Reading

 

Chant, S. and McIlwaine, C. (2009) Geographies of Development in the 21st Century Edward Elgar, Chapter 2

Dos Santos, T. (1970). The Structure of Dependence. The American Economic Review, 60 (2): 231-236.

Frank, A. G. (1970) ‘The Development of Underdevelopment’ in Rhodes, R. D. Imperialism and Underdevelopment. New York: Monthly Review Press.

Larrain, J. (2013), Theories of development: Capitalism, Colonialism and Dependency, Polity Press, Cambridge, Chs 4 & 6 – available online via UoW library website.

 

 

Further Reading

 

Cardoso, F. E. (1995), ‘Dependency and Development in Latin America’, in Stuart Corbridge (ed) Development Studies: A Reader, Arnold, pp 112-27.

Conway, D. and Heyne, N. (2008) Dependency Theories: From ECLA to André Gunder Frank”. In The Companion to Development Studies, Edited by: Desai, V and Potter, R B. London: Arnold

Hoogvelt, A. (2001), Globalisation and the postcolonial world, London, Macmillan, Ch 2.

Kiely, R. (1995), Sociology and development, UCL Press, London, Chs 3 & 4.

Peet, R. (1999), Theories of development, New York:, Guilford Press Chs 3 & 5

Rodney, W. (1981). How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Howard University Press.

 

 

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. To what extent are former Third World countries locked into a system of unequal exchange?

2. In what ways is dependency theory relevant today?

 

 

5. Neoliberalism and the State in Developing Countries

LECTURER: FARHANG MORADY

 

This week’s lecture will reconsider the impact of liberalisation theory and policies on patterns of development. The significance of the Washington Consensus will be considered and SAPs will be both defined and assessed.

 

 

Essential Reading

 

Allen, J. & Hamnett, C. (1992), ‘Uneven worlds’, in Allen, J. & Hamnett, C. (eds), A shrinking world, OUP, pp 234-252.

Dixon, C. et al (1995), ‘Introduction: the nature of Structural adjustment’, in Simon, D. et al (eds), Structurally adjusted Africa: poverty: debt and basic needs, Zed, London, pp 1-14.

Potter, R. et al (1999), Geographies of development, Longman, London, pp 158-177.

 

 

Further Reading

Shutt, H. (1998), The Trouble with Capitalism: An Enquiry into causes of Global Economic Failure, Zed.

Kaplinsky, R. (2007), Globalisation, Poverty and Inequality, Polity.

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. What are the main characteristics of Neo-liberalism and SAPs?

2. What do SAPs tell us about development and the role of the World Bank and the IMF?

 

 

 

 

6. Progress Check

Please meet your personal tutor and seminar leader (during the lecture and seminar time) to discuss your progress, identify any difficulties you may be encountering with concepts of development, development theories and/or to discuss your coursework.

 

 

 

 

 

7. Gender, Power and Development

LECTURER: HANNAH CROSS

 

This lecture will consider the importance of taking a gendered perspective of development. We will see how this perspective has changed over time and across various approaches to development in theory and practice. We then look more closely at the dynamics of globalisation and its impact on women around the world: to what extent is it empowering, and what is really meant by empowerment? Finally, we turn to an overview of feminisms and intersectional approaches in development, as a way to understand the operation of power and marginalisation and how they are challenged.

 

Essential Reading

 

Chant, S. and McIlwaine, C. (2009) Geographies of Development in the 21st Century Edward Elgar:, Ch 8 on Gender and Development.

Razavi, S. and Miller, C. (1995). From WID to GAD: Conceptual Shifts in the Women and Development Discourse, UN Fourth World Conference on Women, Occasional Paper No. 1. Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD).

Visvanathan, N. (ed.) 2011. The Women, Gender and Development Reader. Zed Books. See intro by Visvanathan, chapters by Rai, Boserup, Elson and Pearson. Online reading available in UoW library.

 

 

Further Reading

 

Bouilly, E., Rillon, E. and Cross, H. (2016). Editorial: African women’s struggles in a gender perspective. Review of African Political Economy, 43 (149). pp. 338-349

Kothari, U. 2005. A radical history of development studies. London: Zed. Chapter by Ruth Pearson

Porter, M. 2000, ‘Introduction. Caught in the Web? Feminists Doing Development’ in Porter, M & Judd, E. eds. (2000) Feminists Doing Development A Practical Critique. London & New York: Zed Books.

Rai, S. 2002. Gender and the Political Economy of Development: from nationalism to globalization. Malden, Mass. Polity Press.

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. What is meant by gender analysis and how is it used?

2. How have approaches to gender and development changed over time?

3. How are women incorporated in the global economy, and how do they shape it?

 

8. Governance and Civil Society

LECTURER: SAHAR TAGHDISI RAD

 

In this lecture we will consider the impact of neo-liberal policies and their

consequences. We examine the claim that it is not that the policy did not work or

the theory is wrong, but problems are due to poor policy implementation,

corruption and special interests. ‘Good governance’ as a pre-condition for

development: a process of decision-making, and the way the decisions are

implemented which involves: accountability, transparent decision making; effective

and efficient public sector management; role of law and participation of people in

decision-making.

 

 

Essential Reading

 

Barr et al (2005) ‘The governance of NGOs in Uganda’ in World Development 33 (4) pp 657-679.

Ebrahim, A. (2003) ‘Accountability in practice: mechanisms for NGOs’ in World

Development 31 (5): pp 813-829.

Randall, V. and Theobald, R. (1998), Political Change and Underdevelopment, Palgrave, pp 166-219.

Smith, B. C. (2009), Understanding Third World Politics: Theories of Political Change and Development, Palgrave, pp 224-191.

 

 

Further Reading

 

Haynes, J. (1996), Third World Politics: A Concise Introduction. Macmillan.

Kamat, S (2004), ‘The privatisation of public interest: theorising NGO discourse in a neo-liberal era’, in Review of International Political Economy 11(1): 155-76.

White, S (1999), ‘NGOs, civil society and the state in Bangladesh: the politics of

representing the poor’ in Development and Change 30: 307-326.

Jad, I. (2007), NGOs: Between Buzzwords and Social Movements. Development in Practice, 17(4/5), 622-629.

 

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. Can good governance be imported from outside?

2. Is it possible to engineer democracy in developing countries?

 

 

 

9. Democracy and Development

LECTURER: IPSHITA BASU

 

This week’s lecture will focus on the democratic process and possibilities for

democracy in developing countries. We will use examples from countries including

Brazil, Mexico and South Korea, which have gone through transition, in order to

assess the possibilities for other developing countries.

 

Essential Reading

 

Carothers, T. (2002), ‘The End of the Transition Paradigm’, Journal of Democracy, vol.13, number 1 (January). Can be downloaded from www.ceip.org

Randall, V. and Theobald, R. (1998), Political Change and Underdevelopment, Palgrave, pp 166-219

 

Further Reading

 

Cammack, P. (1997), Capitalism and Democracy in the Third World: the doctrine for political development, Leicester University Press.

Carothers, T.(1999), Aiding Democracy Abroad. The learning curve, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, DC.

Carothers, T. (2004), Critical Mission. Essays on Democracy Promotion, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. Are development and democracy compatible?

2. Are capitalism and democracy compatible?

 

 

10. The End of the Third World?

LECTURER: Farhang morady

 

With the emergence of Newly Industrialising Countries, the concept of the Third

World has become problematic. The development in South East and East Asia,

particularly, China, and now India has been extremely significant in the last

decade. The question is whether the development in these areas has been enough

to stop us from using the term altogether.

 

 

Essential Reading

 

Berger, M. (1994), ‘The end of the Third World?’ in Third World Quarterly,

15(2): 257-75.

Randall, V. (2004), ‘Using and abusing the concept of the Third World’, in

Third World Quarterly 25(1): 42-53.

Harris, N. (1996), The End of the Third World, Penguin, London.

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. What is the Third World?

2. Where is the Third World?

3. Is the Third World still a valid term?

 

 

 

11. Development in the Era of Globalisation

LECTURER: FARHANG MORADY

 

This lecture focuses on the change in developing countries since 1990s. We look

at the emergence of the newly developed countries such as China, India, Brazil and

Turkey, Venezuela and Iran to assess their success and failure.

 

Essential Reading

 

Randall, V. and Theobald, R. (1998), Political Change and Underdevelopment, Palgrave, pp 222-282

Smith, B. C. (2003), Understanding Third World Politics: Theories of Political Change and Development, Palgrave, pp 197-216

 

Further Reading

 

Kiely, R. (2007), The New Political Economy of Development: Globalisation Imperialism and Hegemony, Palgrave.

Sachs, J. (2005), The End of Poverty: How We Can Make it Happen in our Lifetime, Penguin.

 

Seminar Questions

 

1. What is the way forward for developing countries, reform or revolution?

2. How would you analyse the political system in either Venezuela, Iran or Bolivia?

 

12. Revision and Feedback

LECTURER: FARHANG MORADY

 

This week is essential for making sense of development in terms of the themes discussed in the module: What is development ‘good’ for? How do the themes studied in this module relate to other modules you have been taking this semester in political theory and international politics? What advice would you give students taking this module next year about how to approach the study of international development?

 

Module feedback will also be undertaken in your seminar this week.

 

 

 

Assessment rationale

Three methods of assessment are employed in this module: CW1 to write 1000 words, answering 2 seminar questions from module outline (25%); CW2: an oral presentation (25%) and CW3: 1500 words essay.

 

Coursework 1 (Learning Journal, 25%)

This will test students gradual understanding of the module up to mid semester.

 

Answer any Two questions (500 words each) from the list below:

1: What is development and how should development be measured?

2: Colonialism and causes of poverty in the world today?

3: Critical analysis of Modernisation theories

4: Relevance of Dependency theory today?

5: The impact of structural adjustment programmes in developing countries.

Must be submitted on the 4th of November 2020.

 

Coursework 2 (Group Presentation, 25%)

The group online presentation (10-15 minutes group presentation max followed by a Q+A session) allows students to undertake, present, and defend a detailed analysis of ‘development’ as a concept, both in theory and practiceStudents will have to demonstrate their capacity to engage with this debate with appropriate critical insight, showing how this topic has helped the student to clarify his/her own understanding of debates and perspectives in development studies. The grade for the group presentation will be assessed individually, although it will be important for each individual member of the group to demonstrate their capacity to work collaboratively for this task.

Must be submitted a weeks after presenting it.

 

Coursework 3 (Essay, 50%)

An essay of 1500 words allow students to reflect more generally on the themes of the module, to demonstrate an ability to synthesise the material that has been covered, to contextualise debates in development studies, and reflect critically on current debates.

 

Answer any ONE question from the list below. Your essay must be 1500 words and referenced fully with a bibliography.

 

1. Examine the impact of 19th century European colonialism on the Global South, using one or two case studies.

 

2. Critically assess the explanatory value of EITHER modernisation OR dependency theory.

 

3. ‘The metropolis expropriates economic surplus from its satellites and appropriates it for its own economic development’. Discuss.

 

4. What is the role of NGOs in world development today? Trace the development of an active organisation and assess whether it is fulfilling its objectives for the future.

 

5. Does the notion of a ‘Third World’ continue to have any validity in today’s world?

 

6. Is democracy necessary to bring development? Discuss with examples.

 

 

7. With what success different states have managed Covid-19 in the Global South?

 

8. How has Covid-10 impacted development? Discuss with examples from the Global South countries.

 

Must be submitted on the 16th of December.

 

 

Feedback on assessment

Feedback will be available via Blackboard within 3 weeks of submission (15 working days). Feedback can also be obtained by discussing with a module leader during feedback and support hours.

 

Assessment criteria

Essay grading scheme

Essay assessment is a complex process that cannot be reduced to a simple formula. However, it is possible to articulate some of the features that your lecturers will expect to find in each of the marking categories.

 

First class essays (70-100%) will: address the question or title; follow a structured and signposted sequence; demonstrate familiarity with the relevant literature; present an analysis and evaluation of the ideas and theories discussed; reveal internal integration and coherence; use references and examples to support the claims and arguments made; provide detailed references and sources in the bibliography or reference section; be written in good and grammatically correct English. Differences within the range are usually attributable to differences in the quality of analysis and evaluation and internal integration and coherence.

 

Upper second class essays (60-69%) will: address the title; follow a structured sequence; demonstrate familiarity with relevant literature; use references and examples. The difference between essays in this class and a first class pieced of work is often the quality of the analysis and evaluation presented and the degree to which it is integrated around its central theme.

 

Lower second class work (50-59%) may show weaknesses with regard to a number of the features mentioned above. Generally, the analysis and evaluation may be poor, so that the work fails to convey an unified consideration of the topic under discussion. Often, for example, ideas and theories will be presented but not related to each other, so that the reader is left to draw his / her own conclusions. This may also mean that the material presented is not used to address the question but is simply included as vaguely relevant. Finally the sequential structure of essays in this category could usually be improved.

 

Third class essays (40-49%) tend to have weaknesses with regard to most of the features mentioned above. They tend not to address the question in a precise way, to be poorly structured and show little by way of analysis or evaluation of the ideas presented. This, of course, means that they are not well integrated. Finally, the grasp of the literature demonstrated in such an essay may not be good, though it will be adequate in the sense that there are no major misconceptions or obvious omissions.

 

Failed essays (30-39%) are, at best, manifestly failing with regard to a number of the features mentioned above. In particular, their demonstration of familiarity with the literature is usually poor and their structure difficult to discern. Essays which are of extremely poor quality will receive marks that are under 30%. We use the full spectrum of marks.

 

For further information about grading of coursework, including an essay grading scheme: see the DPIR BA Course Handbook (pp.47-48)

 

Word Limit Policy

Each assessment will have a specified word length range (i.e. a word count which includes the main text and notes but excludes the bibliography). The department does not permit a margin of 10% over the stated word limit: the word count is the absolute maximum. Students should be aware that the marker will not consider any work after the maximum word limit has been reached within the allocation of marks. Please note that the exclusion of concluding material in excess of the permitted maximum word count may substantively reduce the quality of the coursework submitted. It may also mean that the eligible part of the submission fails to include information needed to meet the stated learning outcomes for the assessment. In this way, students will be penalised for a failure to be concise and for failing to conclude their work within the word limit specified.

 

SUBMISSION OF COURSEWORK

All coursework on this module is submitted via Blackboard only. It will automatically be scanned through the Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service software.

i. You DO need to include your name and student ID on the first page of your assignment.

To submit your assignment:

i. Log on to Blackboard at http://learning.westminster.ac.uk;

ii. Go to the relevant module Blackboard site;

iii. Click on the ‘Assessments’ link on the left-hand side;

iv. Click on the link to the relevant assignment;

v. Follow the ‘upload’ and ‘submit’ instructions.

A two-minute video showing the submission process can be found by following this link:

ii. http://www.youtube.com/user/SSHLUniWestminster#p/u/0/I-ZQs4nSWL4

 

You will receive separate instructions about how and when you will receive feedback on your work.

 

It is a requirement that you submit your work in this way. All coursework must be submitted by 1pm on the due date. If you submit your coursework late but within 24hours or one working day of the specified deadline, 10% of the overall marks available for that element of assessment will be deducted, as a penalty for late submission, except for work which obtains a mark in the range 40 – 49%, in which case the mark will be capped at the pass mark (40%).

 

If you submit your coursework more than 24 hours or more than one working day after the specified deadline you will be given a mark of zero for the work in question.

 

Late work and any claim of mitigating circumstances relating to coursework must be submitted at the earliest opportunity to ensure as far as possible that the work can still be marked. Late work will not normally be accepted if it is received more than give working days after the original coursework deadline.

 

Once the work of other students has been marked and returned, late submissions of that same piece of work cannot be assessed.

Online feedback via GradeMark

The Department of Politics and International Relations offers online feedback on written coursework via GradeMark (accessed via Blackboard). Failure to submit your essay via Blackboard will mean that your coursework will not be graded and subsequently will not count towards your assessment for this module.

 

 

FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING COURSEWORK 

In addition to the information contained in this Module Handbook, which is specific to the assessment for the module, you need to be aware of general guidance and policies for coursework submission in Politics & IR.

 

Instructions and guidance relating to these and other procedures can be found in the  PIR Red Book . You should consider this your ‘How To’ guide. The PIR Red Book can be found on the  Politics and International Relations Blackboard site .

 

The current version of the  Politics and IR Course Handbook  provides detailed information about regulations relating to:

· Submitting your work

· Late submission

· Plagiarism and referencing

· Mitigating circumstances

· Word limits

· Essay grading  The Politics and IR Course Handbook can be found on the  Politics and International Relations Blackboard site .   For information about Academic progression, condoned credits, and referral opportunities, see the  Handbook of Academic Regulations  (section 17).

 

USEFUL INFORMATION & CONTACTS

 

Fitzrovia Registry, fitzregistry@westminster.ac.uk 020 7911 5884, first floor, 115 New Cavendish Street: all the rules on modules/changing modules/course, changing seminar group + mitigating circumstances.

 

Disability: if you have an undeclared disability and/or are in need of support, you sign-up for a drop-in appointment or a longer appointment by calling 02350668800 or emailing DLS@westminster.ac.uk. You can also sign-up for a disability advisor appointment, a Specific Learning Difficulty advisor appointment, or a Specialist Study Skills appointment. For those who suspect they have dyslexia and dyspraxia, there is a preliminary screening (not a diagnosis) that they can do online and they can discuss the results in person. The DLS also provide mental health mentors who help registered students manage the impact of their conditions on their studies. For more information visit: www.westminster.ac.uk/disability.

 

Counselling & Wellbeing ( counselling@westminster.ac.uk): if you need any support with mental health/counselling issues, the University has a free counselling service at the Cavendish Campus. For more information visit: westminster.ac.uk/counselling.

 

 

 

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