Foundations of Power, Participation and Social Change (500L9)

30 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Autumn teaching

Foundations of Power, Participation and Social Change gives you the analytical and conceptual grounding for defining the issues and questions you will pursue in your action research projects.

The module engages with theory as a lens to illuminate pathways for action, and provides a foundation for understanding and shaping social change and influencing policy and practice.

In the first half of the module you will explore concepts and debates related to power, participation and social change.

In the second half the same three themes are further explored using case studies and student experience and introducing relevant analytical tools and practical approaches to inquiry.

Additional sessions develop your skills for academic study and writing, and introduce practices of reflective and experiential learning, including journaling, storytelling, conversation and other methods of inquiry. 

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 44 hours of contact time and about 256 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2022/23. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to COVID-19, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.