Module: Political Ideologies

Module Specifications

Academic Year 2026 - 2027

Module Title	Political Ideologies
Module Code	POL1044 (ITS: LG359)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Law & Government
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

This is a module about the great ideologies – such as liberalism, socialism, feminism, and conservatism – that have shaped our political world, for better or worse. We will be treating ideologies as bodies of relatively coherent and comprehensive beliefs that motivate political action and condition the terms of political contestation. We will examine classical texts from the likes of J.S. Mill, Karl Marx, and Mary Wollstonecraft that have been foundational to the major ideologies of modernity. But we will also sample the work of more recent authors in order to better understand how ideologies have evolved and been contested over time. On the way, we will tackle questions such as the following. How is the meaning of an ideology determined? What part has ideology played in the great political events of the past? How useful is the traditional Left-Right spectrum when it comes to classifying ideologies? Have new ideologies such as environmentalism displaced the ‘old’ ideologies of the past? Is it possible to think about politics in a way that is free from ideology?

Learning Outcomes

1. An understanding of the concept of ideology
2. Knowledge of the major ideological traditions such as liberalism, socialism, and feminism.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant ethical theories.
4. Analyse ethical issues by applying ethical theories.
5. Communicate effectively in oral formats, adapting to audience profile as required.
6. Demonstrate the effective use of digital technology for communication.
7. Communicate effectively in written or other non-oral formats.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	22	No Description
Independent Study	103	No Description
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	20857	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	50%	Examination Weight	50%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Ross Carroll	Module Teacher	Moign Khawaja, Paola Rivetti

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Oral Examination	Group project orally defended	25%	n/a
In Class Test	In-Class Quiz	10%	n/a
Completion of online activity	Comment on weekly readings using Perusall	15%	n/a
Formal Examination	n/a	50%	End-of-Semester

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

The Concept of Ideology

Liberalism and Neo-Liberalism

Conservatism, the New Right, Neo-Conservatism

Marxism-Leninism, Socialism, the New Left

Nationalism

Anarchism

Fascism

Feminism

Islamism

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Heywood, Andrew: 2007, Political Ideologies: An Introduction, Fourth Ed, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None