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Module POL3057 for 2017/8
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3057: Biopolitics
This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.
Overview
NQF Level | 6 | ||
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Credits | 30 | ECTS Value | 15 |
Term(s) and duration | This module ran during term 1 (11 weeks) and term 2 (11 weeks) | ||
Academic staff | Dr Angela Cassidy (Convenor) | ||
Pre-requisites | None | ||
Co-requisites | None | ||
Available via distance learning | No |
The term ‘biopolitics’ first came into use in the early 20th century, as a variety of political thinkers applied new ideas from biology to developing political theories of society. Multiple versions of ‘the biology of politics’ have surfaced and retreated over time ever, drawing on a range of biological ideas, from organicism to sociobiology, via genetics and cognitive science. This idea was turned upon its head during the 1970s by the social theorist Michel Foucault, who used ‘biopower’ to describe how social and political power over life has increasingly been created since the 19th century. This latter idea, the ‘politics of biology’, has been adopted by many social scientists thinking about science and society in the 21st century. In this module we will explore the multiple and contested versions of biopolitics over the past century, as played out in debates over evolution and ‘human nature’; agriculture and environments; health and medicine; and new technologies.
Module created | 14/03/2017 | Last revised |
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