Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Seminar participation | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Propaganda piece 1500 Words | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Propaganda piece 1500 Words | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Report in lieu of seminar participation 500 Words | 10% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a sophisticated and critical understanding of key definitions and theories of propaganda.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of the historical evolution of propaganda media and techniques.
Demonstrate an advanced capability to utilise techniques of propaganda and political communication.
Communicate detailed knowledge about and evaluate the historical evolution of the relationship between secret intelligence and propaganda.
Brief description
The module introduces students to the historical evolution of propaganda as a feature of international politics and political conflict in the 20th and 21st centuries. It provides an analysis of the development of propaganda media and techniques, introducing students to the role of propaganda and psychological operations in relation to major historical events and processes from 1914 to the present day and encourages them to think, both on a theoretical and practical level, about how propaganda functions as an element of diplomatic, military and strategic policy. The module places particular emphasis on the relationship between propaganda and secret intelligence, exploring how intelligence services have pursued strategic and tactical goals through techniques of persuasion and deception.
Content
- Debates about the definition of propaganda
- Key theories of propaganda and communication
- Practical propaganda methods and techniques
- The relationship between propaganda and secret intelligence
- Propaganda in the age of the two world wars
- Propaganda and the Cold War
- Propaganda and Information Warfare in the post-Cold War era
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Students will be expected to demonstrate skills of political communication and persuasion in relation to the specific and individual assessment requirements of this module. Students will learn how to present their ideas verbally and in writing, and how to present their arguments most effectively. They will develop skills in using the many sources of information available to best advantage. They will learn to be clear in their writing and speaking and to be direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic, focus and objectives of their argument or discussion. Students will also be required to submit their written assessments in word-processed format and the presentation of work should reflect effective expression of ideas and good use of language skills in order to ensure clarity, coherence and effective communication. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context in which support and assistance is available from the module convenor and other students. |
| Information Technology | Students will enhance their proficiency using Blackboard, where materials to support learning will be made available. Students will also develop skills in searching for, and assessing the validity of, online information sources as part of preparation for lectures, seminars and assessed tasks. Assessed work will be presented in electronic format, according to standard expectations. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The module is designed to hone and test skills of use to students in their working lives, particularly in speaking to small groups, listening, thinking and responding to the statement of others. Moreover, the written work requires students not only to write clearly and concisely, which is a common task in the workplace, but to develop and demonstrate advances skills of communication and persuasion. Students will be encouraged throughout to reflect on their performance and to consider lessons for future application. |
| Problem solving | Independent work and problem solving will be one central goal of the module; the submission of written assignments will require that students develop independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; consider extreme cases; reason logically; construct theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems |
| Research skills | Students will be required to undertake independent research in order to complete the assessed work. This will involve utilizing a range of information sources, including core academic texts, journal articles, electronic publications, and online news sources. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of subject specific skills that help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas on the module. These subject specific skills include: • Collect and understand a wide range of data relating to the module • Evaluate competing perspectives Apply a range of methodologies to complex historical and contemporary social and political problems. |
| Team work | Students will undertake team exercises in the seminars. For many of the topics of this module, seminars will consist of small-group discussions where students will be asked to discuss as a group the core issues related to the seminar topic. These class discussions and debates form a significant part of the module, and will allow students to approach and examine a given topic through team work. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6