Contemporary political debate remains indebted to concepts and arguments developed in the history of political thought. This module explores this history by examining a select number of signal figures and movements in the history of modern Western political thought. Students will engage in close, critical reading of canonical texts. They will learn how to accurately interpret and critically evaluate the arguments in those texts, and will thereby learn how to deal with the legacy those arguments have left for contemporary debates.
Thinkers to be studied might range from the well-known and canonical to the lesser-known and unjustly neglected. Possible figures might include: Thomas Hobbes, Montesquieu, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Catharine Macaulay, Ottobah Cugoano, Olaudah Equiano, Olympe de Gouges, Mary Wollstonecraft, G. W. F. Hegel, Flora Tristan, J. S. Mill, Frederick Douglass, and Karl Marx. Possible movements to be examined include: social contract theory; natural rights theory; republicanism and civic virtue; feminism and the rights of women; socialism and the emancipation of workers; abolitionism and the emancipation of slaves. 

This is a relatively new module in the Department, designed to be innovative in terms of the learning tasks and assessment. Essentially, students will be...

This module will be aimed at autism practitioners (e.g., teachers, therapists, charity workers) currently working with autistic children, young people or...

This module will be aimed at autism practitioners (e.g., teachers, therapists, charity workers) currently working with autistic children, young people or adults in the UK. Students will be introduced to the topic of action research and will have the opportunity to implement a small-scale piece of action research within their professional setting. Research projects will be completed under the guidance of international leaders in the field, led by the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE) at IOE and will culminate in the submission of a research report and oral examination. Students will also be encouraged to engage in observations of professional practice, submitting a reflective diary of how these observations have enhanced/developed their own practice. Together, the course aims to develop students’ research skills and professional practice in relation to autistic children, young people and/or adults. 

Sessions are delivered face-to-face at IOE over the course of two terms, with the majority of the module being delivered via online tutorials (group and individual) and independent research work. The module is for any autism practitioner who wants to (a) have the opportunity to conduct impactful research that will make a genuine difference to autistic people and (b) develop their own professional skillset through reflective practice.