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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Social and Political Science : Lifelong Learning (SPS)

Undergraduate Course: Political Economy and the World of Work (LLLJ07014)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Social and Political Science CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaLifelong Learning (SPS) Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionTHIS IS A FOR-CREDIT ONLY COURSE OFFERED BY THE OFFICE OF LIFELONG LEARNING (OLL); ONLY STUDENTS REGISTERED WITH OLL SHOULD BE ENROLLED.

This course will introduce students to Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and Karl Marx's Capital, situating the texts in their historical contexts and examining their legacies. In doing so, it aims to introduce key concepts in classical political economy and provide insight into the changing wold of work.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Lifelong Learning - Session 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Learn enabled:  No Quota:  10
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 13/01/2014
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 78 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
No Exam Information
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students will be able to:
Define and explain key concepts in classical political economy;
Describe the different historical contexts in which Smith and Marx worked;
Demonstrate an understanding of the key works of Smith and Marx and their continuing legacies;
Apply this understanding to the changing world of work.
Assessment Information
One 2000 word essay submitted after the course finishes, worth 100% of the total course mark.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus 1. An Introduction to Classical Political Economy and its Critique
An examination of medieval feudal arrangements and the rise of a new powerful merchant class, who felt constrained by the old order. The need to develop a new 'science' of politics and economy to challenge the old order.

2. Adam Smith's World
Smith's life and the importance of other Enlightenment thinkers in Scotland and France in developing a new perspective on history and society. An overview of Smith's first book: A Theory of Moral Sentiments.

3. The Wealth of Nations [1]
Examining the early analytical chapters of The Wealth of Nations, and understanding Smith's key concepts of classification (labour, capital and land) and why he emphasises the role and organisation of labour in his Pin Factory example.

4. The Wealth of Nations [2]
A look at later chapters of The Wealth of Nations and some of Smith's predictions, including the predicament of the labouring classes, the growing strength of the capitalist class, and the requirement for state intervention in education.

5. Smith's Legacy
How is Smith's work viewed today, and why? Is this image accurate? A review of different perspectives on Smith, including that of Marx. An overview of other notable classical political economists (David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus, and James Mill).

6. Karl Marx's World
Marx's life and the influences on his thinking, including 'English' political economy. An examination of The Communist Manifesto, and how this early work relates to his magnus opus, Capital.

7. Capital [1]
From commodities to exploitation, we follow a sketch of the argument from chapters 1 to 9 in Capital. How work and struggles over the length of the working day come to play the pivotal role in social development.

8. Capital [2]
From everyday work to the social fabric of exploitation, we follow the argument of the later chapters in explaining how the worker is exploited even before they reach the factory gates.

9. Marx's Legacy
How is Marx's work viewed today, and why? As with Smith, are popular perceptions accurate? Might we consider that Smith and Marx have more in common than they have differences?

10. Course review
A review of the course and a chance to re-examine key concepts and ideas.
Transferable skills Skills in reading key historical texts; understanding conceptual frameworks; and critical thinking in relation to texts and arguments.
Reading list Essential
Marx, K., 1990. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy v. 1. London: Penguin Classics.
Smith, A., 1982. The Wealth of Nations: books I-III. London: Penguin Classics.

Recommended:
Hakkonssen, K., ed., 2006. The Cambridge Companion to Adam Smith. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Terrell, C., ed., 1992. The Cambridge Companion to Karl Marx. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Web Sources:
There are a number of works by both Smith and Marx available in free online editions. This includes items such as The Communist Manifesto and sections of A Theory of Moral Sentiments.

Class handouts
Lecture slides will be made available. In addition, several extracts will be provided for use in group work/ reading.
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Ten two-hour classes involving a combination of lectures, class discussions, short readings and some group work.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserMr James Mooney
Tel: (0131 6)50 3077
Email: james.mooney@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Sabine Murdoch
Tel: (0131 6)51 1855
Email: Sabine.Murdoch@ed.ac.uk
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© Copyright 2013 The University of Edinburgh - 13 January 2014 4:39 am