Keele Badge

PIR-10077 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

PIR-10077 - Decolonizing  World Politics: Power and Inequality
Coordinator: Bulent Gokay Room: CBA2.002 Tel: +44 1782 7 33512
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

How can we understand power and inequality in the contemporary world? The world we live in grew from Western dominance. This module will introduce you to the main ways that power, inequality, and insecurity are reproduced, exploring contemporary debates about globalisation, security, capitalism and neo-liberalism. It will examine how the West ignored questions of colonialism, imperialism, race, slavery and dispossession, and ask what happens to the study of world politics when these questions are raised.

Aims
1. Introduce students to the study of power through a decolonization lens (e.g. postcolonialism, particularism and pluralism), as well as different schools from within and outside of Western academia.
2. Equip students with decolonization tools - considering how different frameworks, traditions and knowledge projects can inform each other- to critically interrogate International Relations.
3. Investigate knowledge production in the discipline and critically unpack the discipline's racial and imperial roots and legacies.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Recognise and identify decolonizing approaches to world politics and IR theory: 1,2,3,4
Develop critical faculties with respect to the functioning of racism and Eurocentrism in world politics and IR theory: 1,2,3,4
Situate imperialism and colonialism within the history of global politics and IR theory: 2,3,4
Demonstrate the ability to critically review the literature on decolonizing IR: 1,2,4
Present their knowledge of decolonizing IR through group work: 3
Demonstrate their ability to engage with a variety of sources in the field and point to similarities and differences: 1,2,4

Study hours

Lectures: 24
Tutorials: 24
Preparations for weekly lectures and tutorials: 80
Preparations for the 4 assignments: 172

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Literature Review weighted 20%
600 words Literature Review
Students will review 2-3 key texts/approaches/tools that have been taught during the first 5 weeks of the semester. Students will be asked to critically summarise the literature chosen and draw comparisons in a concise manner (600 words).

2: Research Report weighted 30%
900 words Research Report
Students will be asked to write a research report on one aspect of decolonisation in the discipline of IR and/or global politics. The report will have dedicated sections on the subject, approach and methodology, discussion and conclusion. Examples and templates will be provided and a dedicated workshop will be integrated into the module structure.

3: Group Assessment weighted 20%
Group Poster
In groups of 3-4 students, which will be selected in advance, students will present a poster on a contemporary manifestation of imperial/colonial/racial aspect of global politics. The poster will be the equivalent of 600 words and will include figures and/or graphs and/or pictures alongside concise text and a short list of sources. A dedicated workshop to preparing posters and developing digital and presentational skills will be integrated into the module structure. The mark will be given to each student in the group.

4: Portfolio weighted 30%
900 words Portfolio
Students will write a 900 words portfolio that demonstrates their ability to critically engage with and reflect on their studies and assignments in this module throughout the year. The portfolio will include an introduction, 3 main sections in the body of the portfolio and concluding remarks. The body of the portfolio will allow students to unpack a particular approach to decolonization, engage with the variety of sources learnt in the module, and reflect on their assignments (e.g., what they have learnt, have they changed their minds on the subject, how demanding or difficult did they find the assignments). There will be dedicated workshops on how to write portfolios.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025