Power at Work
Module code: MN3111
Many cliches come to mind when we think of power: "Power corrupts", "knowledge is power", "with great power, comes great responsibility". While these seem profound on the surface, what do they actually tell us about how we might experience power in and around our working lives? Is it always true that the person at the top has all the power? It is true that power often manifests in techniques of control, it can also be about resistance. Power is an elusive, sometimes exciting, alluring or seductive aspect of how we experience workplaces and other institutions. And so, throughout the term we will consider advanced concepts to explain and analyse the forms, bases and differentials of power that exist, shape and surround our working lives.Over the weeks the module leader will work to facilitate a supportive environment that encourages you to share your own encounters with power relations from practical experience or depicted in media, and you will gain significant insight from the experiences and interpretations of your classmates. In addition to learning advanced theoretical perspectives (which can be useful for your dissertation), previous students have found that the outcome of completing this module is to take away a new focus on what they hope to gain from a career: enhanced understanding about what to expect from employers and empowerment to make difficult decisions to find the right kind of work.
The teaching methods on this module are slightly different to what you may be familiar with; the module leader has prepared a series of short tutorial videos to guide you in understanding the theory; these are carefully designed and edited to allow you to review and gain access to the theory in your own time. Importantly, this means the class time is freed up for discussion.