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PIR-10081 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 26 June 2026

PIR-10081 - British Politics: Welfare, Economy and Society
Coordinator: Phil Catney Room: CBA1.029 Tel: +44 1782 7 33346
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None


Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

How did we get to the state we're in? This module introduces you to the domestic and international dimensions of British politics, presenting an overview of the key debates that have shaped politics in post-WW2 Britain. You will develop an understanding of key events and the importance of ideas such as welfare, decline, governability and populism. You will enhance your critical reading and analytical skills, developing a better understanding of the past to make sense of the present.

Aims
-To introduce students to the study of domestic and international dimensions of British politics;
-To introduce students to the key debates in British politics since 1945, such as the establishment of the welfare state, decolonisation, the management of the economy, neoliberalism and political responses to it and so forth;
-To provoke initial reflection on the complexity of political life and the approaches necessary for its comprehension;
- To develop basic skills such as contributing to tutorial discussions, using library resources, reading and annotating texts, and formulating clear essay arguments.

Intended Learning Outcomes

identify relevant basic concepts from political analysis to provoke initial reflection on the complexity of political life and the approaches necessary for its comprehension: 2
recognise the nature and reason for political changes in British Politics since 1945: 1,2
write scholarly essays in social science and participate in informed debates about current political issues
: 1,2

Study hours

12 hours of lectures
10 hours of tutorials
40 hours of preparation for ten tutorials
28 hours of preparation and writing of the review
60 hours of preparation and writing for the essay

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Review weighted 30%
A 750 word review
A review of an academic journal article.  This assessment is designed to help students with induction into critical reading of journal articles.

2: Essay weighted 70%
A 1,500 word essay
An essay question chosen from a list produced by the module tutor.

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: 26 June 2026