Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC3147: Politics of Work

This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Aims

This module aims to equip you with empirical, theoretical and historical resources for understanding how the everyday experience of work relates to broader political, cultural and economic processes. It will familiarise you with analytical frames of reference that provide tools for the development of critical perspectives on how contemporary work and employment is experienced by different groups of workers. In turn, it explores how these analytical frames can help inform practical political and policy responses to contemporary challenges in employment, labour markets and industrial relations. You will explore these experiences, analyses and policy challenges in the context of diverse case study sectors and examples representative of the world of work in the present-day UK.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate understanding of the different ways work is performed, organised and experienced.
2. Apply concepts and theories to analyse empirical case studies about different kinds of work
3. Draw upon experiences and analyses of work to propose potential policy responses to key issues
Discipline-Specific Skills4. Work independently/collaboratively to research and communicate empirical insights on working life.
5. Conduct rigorous, independent analysis using a variety of relevant sources or evidence
6. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different policy responses to workplace challenges
Personal and Key Skills7. Display creativity, imagination, empathy and authenticity in representing the experiences of others
8. Construct a reasoned and logical argument supported by evidence
9. Work independently and collaboratively to develop practical solutions to real-world problems