PLC1501/101/3/2023

Tutorial Letter 101/3/2023

Politics as a Social Activity

PLC1501

Semesters 1 and 2

Department of Political Sciences

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS
Page

1  INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 3 
2  PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................ 3 
2.1  Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 3 
2.2  Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 3 
3  CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................ 4 
4  LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................... 4 
4.1  Lecturer(s) ...................................................................................................................................... 4 
4.2  Department ..................................................................................................................................... 4 
4.3  University ........................................................................................................................................ 4 
5  RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 5 
5.1  Prescribed book(s) .......................................................................................................................... 5 
5.2  Recommended book(s) .................................................................................................................. 5 
5.3  Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ..................................................................................................... 5 
6  STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ................................................................................................. 6 
6.1  The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme ................................................................................ 7 
7  STUDY PLAN ................................................................................................................................. 7 
8  PRACTICAL WORK ..................................................................................................................... 11 
9  ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 11 
9.1  Assessment criteria ...................................................................................................................... 11 
9.2  Assessment plan .......................................................................................................................... 11 
9.3   Assessment due dates ................................................................................................................. 12 
9.4   Submission of assessments ......................................................................................................... 12 
9.5  The assessments .......................................................................................................................... 13 
9.6  Other assessment methods .......................................................................................................... 13 
9.7   The examination ........................................................................................................................... 13 
10  ACADEMIC DISHONESTY .......................................................................................................... 13 
10.1  Plagiarism ..................................................................................................................................... 13 
10.2  Cheating ....................................................................................................................................... 13 
11  STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ................................................................................... 14 
12  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 14 
13  IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................. 14 

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Dear Student

1 INTRODUCTION
I would like to welcome you as a student to the Department of Political Sciences, and more
specifically to PLC1501 – Politics as a Social Activity. I trust that you will find this module
interesting and establish the necessary foundation that you will need in your pursuance of a
degree in Political Sciences.

Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving towards

becoming an online institution. You will therefore see that all your study material, assessments
and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take place online. This tutorial letter
is intended to offer you some guidance in this regard. Please take special note of the contents of
this tutorial letter, and any other material you may receive from the University. The onus is on
you to ensure that you understand the processes involved in completing your studies.

VERY IMPORTANT!!

 All study material is available on the PLC1501 module site on myUnisa. Should there be
any additional reading or study material, it will be posted on the module site.
 Ensure that you are registered on the myUnisa site and that your myLife email account is
activated. No correspondence will be sent to personal/private email addresses.
 The primary method of communication between you, the University and myself, is via
‘Announcements’ on the PLC1501 module site. Therefore, it is imperative that you keep
an eye out for any important notifications that are posted; e.g. exam dates and Q and A
sessions.

2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this module is to enable students to demonstrate an understanding of the nature
and scope of politics and the study of politics, as well as to be able to describe the nature and
characteristics thereof.

2.2 Outcomes

By successfully completing this module, learners can…

 demonstrate an understanding of what concepts are involved in the study of politics as a

social activity.
 identify, describe and explain the basic concepts involved in the study of politics as a social
activity.
 demonstrate their ability to analyse and explain the manifestation of politics as an activity.

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3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter, in terms of which the university has placed curriculum
transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes student-
centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of
teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. All of these will be
phased in at both programme and module levels, and as a result of this you will notice a marked change
in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with the way in which the content is
conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at
Unisa in a responsive way within the framework of transformation.

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 Lecturer(s)

Ms Alexandra Claassen

Tel: (012) 429 6433

Email: classap@unisa.ac.za

Office: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (WMM) Building, 07-17, UNISA Main Campus, Pretoria

4.2 Department

The Department offers three subject fields in Political Sciences, i.e. Politics (including South
African Politics), International Politics (including Peace and Security Studies) and African Politics
(including Sport and Politics, and Comparative Politics).

For general information please contact:

Mr Funny Tabane

Tel: (012) 429 6854

Email: tabanfj@unisa.ac.za

You may also visit our Departmental website at: http://www.unisa.ac.za/politicalsciences

4.3 University

Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries.

Please include the student number in all correspondence.

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5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)

There are no prescribed books for this module. The study guide is the only source of study for
this year.

NOTE! The prescribed books listed in the study guide are no longer relevant!

5.2 Recommended book(s)

The following books are recommended books for further scholarly engagement

Garner, R; Ferdinand, P; and Lawson, S. 2020. Introduction to Politics.

Hague, R; Harrop, M; and McCormick, J. 2019/2022. Comparative Government and Politics: An

Introduction. (11th or 12th editions).

Heywood, A. 2019. Politics. (5th editions).

Recommended books can be requested online, via the library catalogue.

5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

There are no e-reserves for this module.

E-reserves can be downloaded from the library catalogue. More information is available at:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request

5.4 Library services and resources information

The Unisa library offers a range of information services and resources:

 For brief information, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance

 For more detailed library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
 For research support and services (e.g. the services offered by personal librarians and
the request a literature search service offered by the information search librarians), go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support
 For library training for undergraduate students, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Training

The library has created numerous library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

 Request and find library material/download recommended material:

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
 Postgraduate information services: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
 Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills

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  Frequently asked questions about the library:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
 Services to students living with disabilities:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability
 A–Z of library databases:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

 Ask a librarian: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
 Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: Lib-
help@unisa.ac.za
 General library-related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za
 Queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za
 Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and Twitter: @UnisaLibrary

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies

This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through Unisa.

If you need assistance with regard to the myModules system, you are welcome to use the
following contact details:

 Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)

 E-mail: mymodules22@unisa.ac.za or myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za

You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to
access module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessment
and how to participate in forum activities via the following link: https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130

Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices and
updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for
your account to be activated after you have claimed it. Please do this immediately after
registering at Unisa, by following this link: myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za

Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official correspondence
with the university, and will remain the official primary e-mail address on record at Unisa. You
remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.

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6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme

Many students find the transition from school education to tertiary education stressful. This is also true in
the case of students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-learning
institution, and it is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega university, and all our
programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully online learning. It is for this reason that
we thought it necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended support to help them seamlessly
navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few barriers. We therefore offer a
specialised student support programme to students enrolling at Unisa for the first time – this is Unisa’s
First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme, designed to provide you with prompt and helpful information
about services that the institution offers and how you can access information. The following FYE services
are currently offered:

 FYE website: All the guides and resources you need in order to navigate through your first
year at Unisa can be accessed using the following link: www.unisa.ac.za/FYE

 FYE e-mails: You will receive regular e-mails to help you stay focused and motivated.

 FYE broadcasts: You will receive e-mails with links to broadcasts on various topics related
to your first-year studies (e.g. videos on how to submit assessments online).

 FYE mailbox: For assistance with queries related to your first year of study, send an e-mail
to fye@unisa.ac.za .

7 STUDY PLAN
The planning of your own study programme is very important. We do not have the capacity to
work out a programme that will suit all your needs, however we can provide you with a few
guidelines.

 Start with the STUDY GUIDE and scan briefly to ensure that you are familiar with the
content of course.
 Determine the amount of time available you have per week for each of the modules you
have registered for. Given your personal circumstances, you will be able to determine how
much time per day you can spend on the module.
 Your objective should be to follow the schedule throughout the semester.
 The amount of time per week you spend on each module is not as important as the fact
that you should continually engage with each module throughout the semester.

If you are a student with a health-related condition such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, or have a
close family member with a health condition, please take cognisance thereof when planning your
studies. The same also applies to any other difficulties you or close friends and family members
may experience. Such difficulties may impact on the time you may have available for studies. In
these circumstances it is important to plan well ahead in order to have sufficient time to meet
deadlines. It will be unwise to cram tasks as this creates enormous stress which will negatively
impact on your performance as a student as well as your health. Planning your studies is essential
so that you work consistently and make good progress.

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It would be wise to know your health status with regard to conditions such as tuberculosis,
HIV/AIDS, blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. If you are informed by medical tests,
with the necessary medical and supportive interventions you can prolong and improve the quality
of your life and your success in your studies.

Refer to the Study @ Unisa brochure for general time management and planning skills.

 Study Guidelines and Focus Areas

STUDY UNIT 1: THE CONCEPT OF POLITICS

The focus of this study unit is to introduce you to the concept of politics, what politics is and is not.
We all have a preconceived idea of what politics is, and therefore this study unite provides you
with the necessary terminologies required to define politics and explain what politics is. You will
see (as the with the other concepts in the field of politics) that the term politics has different
definitions, therefore select one or two concepts you find to be the most relevant. This study unit
should be regarded as the most important, therefore if you have trouble understanding the work,
please contact the lecturer.

Outcomes
When completing this study unit, you must be able to:
a) explain what political and authoritative decisions are and who it applies to;

b) give a concise explanation on authorities and who would be regarded as authorities;

c) give a definition and explanation of ‘power’, ‘authority’, ‘competency’ and ‘legitimacy’;

d) differentiate between the political strata as proposed by Robert Dahl;

e) differentiate between totalitarian and liberal traditions in decision-making;

f) provide a concise definition of the concept ‘politics’.

STUDY UNIT 2: HUMANS AS POLITICAL BEINGS

The purpose of this study unit is to determine the inevitability of politics in people’s lives. Even if
a person is apolitical, or is minimally involved in politics, his/her life is still affected/controlled by
it. Therefore, this study unit explains a person’s involvement within a political environment and
how this inevitable involvement came about.

Outcomes

When completing this study unit, you must be able to:

a) explain and compare, in detail, super-naturalistic, naturalistic and rationalistic theories

which explain the origin of politics and human beings’ involvement therein;

b) identify the common variables which explain the origin of politics;

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c) deduce from super-naturalistic, naturalistic and rationalistic theories what the purpose is
of political life.

STUDY UNITS 3 AND 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MODERN STATE

The focus of these study units is to clarify the meaning of the concept ‘state’ and the variations
thereof. Also, the five characteristics essential for the existence of the state is identified and
discussed. As the ‘state’ is the main role player in politics, it is crucial for students to understand
the concept and manifestation thereof clearly.

Outcomes

When completing this study unit, you must be able to:

a) define the concept state by identifying the criteria which are applicable to the existence of
the state;

b) understand and differentiate between the diverse meanings of the concept ‘state’;

c) differentiate between the different views and theories about the state, for example,
minimalist view, Marxist theory etc;

d) name and discuss the criteria applicable for the existence of a state;

e) name and discuss the FALSE criteria often used for the existence of states;

f) discuss the other ways in which the term ‘state’ is used, i.e. nation, society, community
etc.

STUDY UNIT 5: THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADITIONAL FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

AUTHORITY

This study unit gives an overview on how modern authorities originated from traditional
authorities. Many of the characteristics which are visibly in modern-day authorities have
developed from traditional authorities and therefore to understand the development of the state
in the following study units, one needs to begin at grassroots level; i.e. the family organisation,
tribal level and the chieftainship.

Outcomes

When completing this study unit, you must be able to:

a) explain what is meant with traditional authorities;

b) discuss the family organisation as the earliest form of government;

c) discuss the development of the tribe as the next phase of traditional authorities;

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 d) discuss the chieftainship as a significant development of traditional authorities;

e) identify the various characteristic of each of the traditional authorities mentioned and the
importance it had on the development of the modern state.

STUDY UNIT 6: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE

Study unit 6 focus on the development of the state through the different phases apparent in that
development. Each of these phases are important and can be seen as process of trial and error,
which have led to the manifestation of the modern state as we see and recognise it today.

Outcomes

When completing this study unit, you must be able to:

a) discuss the state as a public institution (RES PUBLICA);

b) differentiate and discuss the Feudal state, Stände state and Absolutist state;

c) discuss the events that led to the appearance of the modern state.

STUDY UNITS 7-11: DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE (contd.)

Study Units 7 to 11 furthers the discussion on the development of the state. These developments
have taken place over centuries, hence the statement that “the state is the end product of a long
evolutionary process”.

Outcomes

When completing this study unit, you must be able to:

a) clarify and discuss what is meant with ‘ancient authorities’;

b) differentiate between the chieftainship and ancient monarchy;

c) discuss and describe empires in the development of the state;

d) discuss the characteristics of the city state and the city state as a political organisation of
a city state;

e) discuss the historical background to FEUDALISM in Western Europe;

f) give an in-depth discussion on the feudal system and the important characteristics and
role- players of the feudal system.

STUDY UNIT 12: WAYS IN WHICH THE MODERN STATE DEVELOPED

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This study unit the differing patterns of development of states. Not all states develop the same
way and internal and external factors have played major roles in the development of states.

Outcomes

When completing this study unit, you must be able to:

a) discuss and give examples of the creation of states by means of revolutions;

b) discuss the colonial state as a creation of states;

c) discuss the creation of states by means of treaties;

d) discuss the creation of state by means of political changes.

8 PRACTICAL WORK
Practical work is not a prerequisite for this module, nor is there a practical component linked to
this module.

9 ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria

You are expected to complete two compulsory Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) assignments for
this module to be admitted to the examination. Assignments should be submitted before or on the
provided due dates given on the myModule site on myUnisa. Unfortunately, no extensions for late
submissions can be granted. This is due to requirements from the Department of Higher
Education and Training that have to be met.

9.2 Assessment plan

 To complete this module, you will be required to submit TWO (2) MCQ assessments.
 All information about when and where to submit your assessments will be made available
to you via the myModules site for your module on myUnisa.
 Due dates for assessments, as well as the actual assessments are available on the
myModules site for this module.
 To gain admission to the examination, you will be required to submit TWO (2)
assignment/s.
 To gain admission to the examination, you need to obtain a year mark average of 50% for
the assignments.
 The assignment weighting for the module is 20%.
 You will receive examination information via the myModules sites. Please watch out for
announcements on how examinations for the modules for which you are registered will be
conducted.
 The examination will count 80% towards the final module mark.
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9.3 Assessment due dates

 There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.

 Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myUnisa landing page for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.

 Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.

 Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for
the submission of the assessments.

9.4 Submission of assessments

 Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving

towards becoming an online institution. You will therefore see that all your study material,
assessments and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take place
online. We use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

 The myUnisa virtual campus will offer students access to the myModules site, where
learning material will be available online and where assessments should be completed.
This is an online system that is used to administer, document, and deliver educational
material to students and support engagement between academics and students.

 The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the myModules
2023 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are registered for.

 The university undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

ensure that you obtain the greatest benefit from the use of the myModules learning
management system. Please access the announcements on your myModules site
regularly, as this is where your lecturer will post important information to be shared with
you.

 When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will
see a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message you will
see the assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. Some
assessments may be multiple choice, some tests, others written assessments, some forum
discussions, and so on. All assessments must be completed on the assessment shells
available on the respective module platforms.

 To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to
complete the assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assessment 1,
Assessment 2, etc.). There will be a date on which the assessment will open for you. When
the assessment is open, access the quiz online and complete it within the time available
to you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter
101) and are only made available online. You must therefore access the quiz online and
complete it online where the quiz has been created.

 It is not advisable to use a cell phone to complete the quiz. Please use a desktop computer,
tablet or laptop when completing the quiz. Students who use a cell phone find it difficult to

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navigate the Online Assessment tool on the small screen and often struggle to navigate
between questions and successfully complete the quizzes. In addition, cell phones are
more vulnerable to dropped internet connections than other devices. If at all possible,
please do not use a cell phone for this assessment type.

 For written assessments, please note the due date by which the assessment must be
submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment on the myModules
site of the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double check
that you have selected the correct file for upload. Remember, no marks can be allocated
for incorrectly submitted assessments.

9.5 The assessments

There are no assignments included in this tutorial letter. Assignments and due dates will be
made available to you on myModules for this module. We envisage that the due dates will be
available to you upon registration.

9.6 Other assessment methods

Other assessments methods are not relevant to successfully to complete this module. However,
practice MCQs will be made available to you for exam purposes.
9.7 The examination

Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available to
you online via the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your
lecturer and e-tutors (where relevant) and for communication from the university.

NOTE! Virtual discussion classes will be held during the semester to prepare you for the
examination. Invitations will be send well in advance. Please ensure that you attend.

10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
10.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:

 Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
 Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
 Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.

10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

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  Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another
student during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
 Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information.
 Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files, this forms part of examination guidelines
 Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, you are invited to contact myself Mrs Alexandra Claassen at
classap@unisa.ac.za to discuss the assistance that you need.

12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For frequently asked questions, please go to the myModules site for PLC1501. The FAQ’s will be
posted on additional sources.

13 IN CLOSING
Please ensure that you are cognisant of any communications and announcements that you may
receive during the semester. Ensure that you log onto the myModules site at least twice a week
to ensure that you are continually informed. We cannot be held responsible if you miss important
communiques.

If you have any other queries that you need advice on, please feel free to contact me.

Good luck with your studies!

Alexandra Claassen

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