IR4584 Speculative Fiction and Global Politics

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

Thurs 1-3pm Thurs 3-5pm

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr W B Vlcek

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Prof Anthony Lang, Dr William Vlcek

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module uses the genre of speculative fiction (which includes fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, and weird fiction) to explore global politics. It introduces students to some of the key dilemmas of global politics – war, scarcity, climate change, human rights – through works of fiction. It also asks students to consider deeper assumptions about global politics – free will, liberty, progress, narrative. Students will develop the skills to recognise the presence of global politics in material beyond the academic literature of International Relations. The module involves reading fictional works, literary criticism and viewing films and programmes. Students should be aware that this is a reading-intensive module.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS IR2006

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Written Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 seminar (X11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

54

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

253

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Apply the major theoretical approaches used in global politics to a range of themes present in popular culture;
  • Recognise the role played by narrative in the shaping of global political action and governance;
  • Cogently explain the explicit and implicit presence of politics in popular culture;
  • Understand the use of speculative fiction to develop and analysis alternative forms of global political life;
  • Learn to read multiple forms of speculative fiction (novels, short stories, films, programmes) in a social and politically critical way;
  • Expand the assumptions of what constitutes global politics.