Postgraduate Course: An uncertain world: the West since the 1970s (PGHC11397)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | An overview of some of the most important political, social and ideological changes in the Western world of the past forty years - from the economic crisis of the 1970's to the threat of Islamic terrorism in the 2010's. |
| Course description |
This course gives students the opportunity to examine the transformation of global politics since the 1970's. Topics will include the impact of decolonisation and the Cold War; the development of the European project and European integration; neo-liberalism in the US and Western Europe; the end of the Cold War, the 'end of history' and neo-conservatism; the politics of human rights and humanitarian interventions; European enlargement; globalisation and anti-globalisation; 9/11 and the War on Terror; immigration policy in Europe and the US; and the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath. The main aim will be to offer a nuanced and historical perspective on questions and themes that remain at the heart of contemporary political debate in 'the West' (and beyond). At the same time, the course will be an introduction to original methodological and historiographical frameworks for understanding the recent past, many of which draw on research conducted in political and intellectual history, the social sciences, philosophy and economics.
Content note: The study of History inevitably involves the study of difficult topics that we encourage students to approach in a respectful, scholarly, and sensitive manner. Nevertheless, we remain conscious that some students may wish to prepare themselves for the discussion of difficult topics. In particular, the course organiser has outlined that the following topics may be discussed in this course, whether in class or through required or recommended primary and secondary sources: racism; legacies of colonialism, imperialism and anti-semitism; representations of contemporary conflicts; and traumatic memories of war. While this list indicates sensitive topics students are likely to encounter, it is not exhaustive because course organisers cannot entirely predict the directions discussions may take in tutorials or seminars, or through the wider reading that students may conduct for the course.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework:
4,000-word essay (80%)
Non-Written Skills:
Assessed presentation (10-15 minutes) (10%)
Class participation (10%) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the most important issues and themes connected to global politics, economic trends and political thought in North America and Western Europe since the 1970's
- independently identify and pursue research topics in this period of history
- exhibit an understanding for different conceptual approaches for the study of history
- arrive at independent, well-argued, well-documented and properly referenced conclusions in their coursework essay
- demonstrate their ability to reflect on the reading & research they have undertaken and provide feedback for their peers
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Reading List
Suggested introductory readings:
- Tony Judt, Postwar (2005)
- Daniel Rodgers, Age of Fracture (2011)
- Luc Boltanski & Eve Chiapello, The New Spirit of Capitalism (2005)
- Samuel Moyn, The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History (2010)
- Pierre Rosanvallon, Counter- Democracy: Politics in an Age of Distrust (2008)
- John Gillingham, European Integration 1950-2003: superstate or new market economy? (2005)
- David Priestland, Merchant, Soldier, Sage: A New History of Power (2012)
- Zygmunt Bauman, Liquid Modernity (2000)
- David Harvey, A Brief History of Neo-Liberalism (2005)
- Justin Vaisse, Neo-conservatism: the biography of a movement (2010)
- David Runciman, The Politics of Good Intentions: History, Fear and Hypocrisy in the New World Order (2010)
- Gerard Dumenil & Dominique Levy, The Crisis of Neoliberalism (2013) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The study of the past gives students a unique understanding of the present that will enable them to succeed in a broad range of careers. The transferable skills gained from this course include:
- understanding of complex issues and how to draw valid conclusions from the past
- ability to analyse the origins and development of current political and historiographical questions
- a command of bibliographical and library- and/or IT-based online and offline research skills
- a range of skills in reading and textual analysis
- ability to question and problematize evidence; considering the relationship between evidence and interpretation
- understanding ethical dimensions of research and their relevance for human relationships today
- ability to marshal arguments lucidly, coherently and concisely, both orally and in writing
- ability to deliver a paper or a presentation in front of peer audiences
- ability to design and execute pieces of written work and to present them suitably, as evidenced by the final assessment essay of 4,000 words |
| Keywords | Uncertain World 1970s |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Stephen Rainbird
Tel:
Email: srainbir@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lauren Smith
Tel:
Email: Lauren.N.Smith@ed.ac.uk |
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