DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Where's my TMA03 mark !

TMA03 was handed in, before the deadline, 14 days ago and still nothing from my tutor, this is very off putting and distracting.

I do think that the course would be better time-tabled if there was a week's break/grace between the TMA deadline of one section and the start of the next. Admittedly this would add 6 weeks to the overall course length and the exams would then be mid-August to early September, but it would give people a week to reflect on the last part of the course without the pressure of the TMA distracting them, and it would mean we should get TMA marks back nefore we are too far into the next section of the course.

Oh well, with any luck it will be back today..... tomorrow,..... over the weekend.... next week.....

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Week 16

26 Jan

• Study Guide Week 16 URL
• Activity: Book 4: Chapter 2, 'Them and us'; Audio Feature 6, 'Doing political theory'
  
  Still waiting for my TMA mark !!! That is over a week again, hopefully it will be back before the end of this weekend.
  
  Might try and hand the next one in early and see if that gets it marked any quicker. However, in order to do that I have to get it finished ahead of schedule and that seems unlikely going on past perfromance.

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Book 4 - Living Political Ideas

At last, some proper political ideas to get our teeth in to. This is what I'd hoped the course would be mostly about, but it has taken until book 4 to get to these ideas.

Just looking through the contents page gives a idea of what is coming up in the next couple of weeks, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Bentham, Marx, Nozick and Rawls, some of who's ideas we already came across in the political philosophy part of the Philosophy course A222.

It has also helped with study that the snow has effectively limited other leisure activities, so today looks like being sat on the couch with a mug of coffee and Book 4 being read in between the two scheduled football matches.

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Week 15

19 Jan

• Module Part 4: Living Political Ideas
• Study Guide Week 15 URL
• Activity: Discussion Audio D, 'Introduction to Part 4'; Online Activity 2; Book 4: Chapter 1, 'Political legitimacy'
• Online Activity 2
  
  On to book 4, so that is us over half way through the course marerial, so just 3 TMAs  and the exam to go..... Doesn't seem much if you say it quickly.

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : TMA3 Submitted

Decided just to submit the essay last night before the deadline, so the extension I was granted was not necessary.

It didn't get the usual amount of editing, and I am pretty sure I argued the question properly, but I just wonder if got enough references to Chapters 3 & 4 in the argument.

Anyway, with this weekend looking like it was be chaos, I would not have had the time I wanted to finish it anyway, so better to submit something and then relax.

To the wait begins.......

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Broken the back of TMA3

Managed to get on a roll writing wise and have pretty much finished the first draft.

If I had not been granted the extension I could have submitted this evening, but it does need a bit of a tidy up.

So far reasonable intro, discussed important terms and concepts, discussed checks and balances through the legislature and judiciary and through periodic elections. Discussed the problems governments have in balancing the wish to be on the international stage or within treaties against the powers they have to devolve to achieve these treaties. There is also the question of devolved governments and pressure groups dragging power from the center.
 
Need to leave it for a day or two, re-read and edit as necessary then it should be submitted in time to crack on with book 4.

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Got an Extension for TMA3

I had hoped to get through the entire course without having to ask for an extension, but 'life' and other things have gotten in the way of the study and so I have asked for and been granted until after next weekend to submit this TMA.

I have made a start on the essay and if necessary I could have handed something in on Thursday, but I need moire time in order to write it, leave it for a day or two and then make adjustments if it is going to be any good.

I think it is pretty obvious from the question that the answer has to be 'No'. No government 'completely dominates' politics in the UK, apart from the institutional controls to stop this happening, there are moderating factors such as the Law, EU, NATO, global economy etc. as well as practical considerations around periodic elections and the need to pander to the public.

Anyway, pressure off for now but need to get a lot more words on the page.

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Week 14

12 Jan

TMA week

• Study Guide Week 14 URL
• Assessment Guidance Repeat
• TMA 03 Repeat

Events

• Assignment: TMA 03 (cut-off date 17 Jan)

Really struggling with the reading for this TMA, a combination of a late return of the last TMA mark, making it difficult to get on with the reading for the next part of the course, Christmas, New Year, family holiday in the Lake District and then being on a course though work which required pre-reading and nightly study as it had its own exam.

Gonna give this a good crack tomorrow and depending on how that goes may need to ask for an extension which I haven't had to do yet, and would rather avoid.

Oh well, must keep telling myself this is voluntary and all for fun.

DD203 - Power, Dissent, Equality : Week 13

5 Jan

• Study Guide Week 13 URL
• 
  Activity: Book 3: Chapter 5, 'Gender and representation in UK politics'
  
  Well Chapters 1 & 2 were interesting enough but not exactly anything new. So I am 2 chapters behind and have heard that chapter 5 is not that relevant for the TMA or the exam, so I may have to miss this chapter out and just try and cram chapters 3 & 4  in and grind out another TMA essay.
  
  This is not helped by also being on a course for work that requires quite a lot of pre-reading, home study and then an exam at the end of the week.
  
  It is all getting a wee bit too busy.
  
  

Happy New Year !

wishing every one a happy, healthy, wealthy and academically successful 2013, especially those studying DD101, A222 and DD203 with the Open University.