Not available in 2014/15
GV498 Half Unit
Multiculturalism
This information is for the 2014/15 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Leigh Jenco CON4.13
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in European Studies: Ideas and Identities, MSc in European Studies: Ideas and Identities (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and Fudan), MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and USC), MSc in International Migration and Public Policy and MSc in Political Theory. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.
Course content
This seminar explores the political and epistemological issues of multiculturalism, broadly understood, in contemporary political theory. After deciding on a tentative definition for “culture,” we will explore how and why the concept has become so integral to normative theories of contemporary political life. In particular, we will focus on how increasing recognition of plurality within liberal democratic regimes has led to new theories of both culture and community. Along the way, we will consider normative questions such as: Should we encourage “global citizenship,” or should we celebrate the local and the national? If cultures are dynamic and hybrid entities, how can they be identified and protected politically? Are there significant and legitimate differences between “the West” and “the rest”—and if so, how must our interpretive approach change as we include voices from culturally diverse groups into already-established political communities?
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the LT.
Formative coursework
Students are invited to write one 2000 word formative essay, due no later than week 10.
Indicative reading
Will Kymlicka, Multicultural Citizenship, Brian Barry, Culture and Equality, Chandran Kukathas, The Liberal Archipelago, Iris Young, Justice and the Politics of Difference, Homi Bhabha, The Location of Culture.
Assessment
Essay (100%, 5000 words) in the ST.
Student performance results
(2010/11 - 2012/13 combined)
Classification | % of students |
---|---|
Distinction | 4.9 |
Merit | 50.8 |
Pass | 44.3 |
Fail | 0 |
Teachers' comment
Key facts
Department: Government
Total students 2013/14: 32
Average class size 2013/14: 16
Controlled access 2013/14: No
Lecture capture used 2013/14: No
Value: Half Unit
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Specialist skills
Student response to this seminar-style course has been very positive, though students frequently request the inclusion of lectures. Because this is a postgraduate political theory course, however, there are strong pedagogical reasons for conducting it as a seminar--which also conforms to best practice at top research universities in the US and elsewhere. I do not lecture because I hope to create an egalitarian environment for intense, fruitful discussion.