Undergraduate Course: The Far Right (PLIT10172)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is focusing on far-right parties in Europe (Western and Central and Eastern Europe), and more specifically the reasons for their electoral success. Testing the most prominent theories across several case studies, including established Western democracy, and rather newly democratised Central and Eastern European countries, we will try to explain cross-national, and within case variation of this, electoral success. |
| Course description |
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the rise and persistence of far-right politics in Europe, a phenomenon increasingly challenging the traditional political landscape. It delves into the structural transformations within European democracies, particularly the shift in power from national governments to international organizations like the European Union. This shift has significantly impacted representative politics and the belief systems of European citizens, contributing to a widespread sense of political dissatisfaction, fear of globalization, and anti-government sentiments. The course posits that the surge in far-right politics is a reaction to these changes, marked by a general malaise and protest against mainstream political parties.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least four Politics/IR courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). Only university/college level courses will be considered. |
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 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Essay plan for long essay - 10%
Mid-term opinion piece (1000 words) - 30%
Long essay (3000 words)- 60%
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| Feedback |
Formative feedback will be given for the long essay through the essay plan (first assessment). Regarding the mid-term opinion piece, informal feedback will be given in class, and also during office hours. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the debates surrounding the contemporary far right in Europe and the ability to evaluate the different perspectives on the far right
- Develop an understanding of the conceptual and definitional issues involved in the discussion of the far right.
- Appreciate the challenges presented to contemporary theories by the surge in support for the far right in the 1990s
- Assess the impact of the far right on politics in Europe.
- Apply insights from the contemporary analysis of the far right and interpret the evidence in a range of country studies drawn from Europe.
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Reading List
Mudde, C. (2016). The populist radical right: A reader. Oxford: Routledge. [Online Available at: doi:10.4324/9781315514574.
Rydgren, J. (2018). The Oxford Handbook of the Radical Right. New York. Oxford University Press
Norris, P. and Inglehart, R. (2019) The Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit and Authoritarian Populism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Web Pages:
Arzheimer, K. The Eclectic, Erratic Bibliography on the Extreme Right in Western Europe: https://www.kai-arzheimer.com/extreme-right-western-europe-bibliography
Rooduijn, M., Van Kessel, S., Froio, C., Pirro, A., De Lange, S., Halikiopoulou, D., Lewis, P., Mudde, C. and Taggart, P. 2019. The PopuList: An Overview of Populist, Far Right, Far Left and Eurosceptic Parties in Europe. http://www.popu-list.org
Froio, C., Pirro, A. and van Kessel, S Extremism and Democracy ECPR Standing Group: http://standinggroups.ecpr.eu/extremismanddemocracy/
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Mindset:
Outlook and Engagement: University of Edinburgh graduates draw on the quality, depth and breadth of their experiences to engage with the communities and world around them. With an informed international perspective, they seek to contribute positively, ethically and respectfully.
Enquiry and Lifelong Learning: University of Edinburgh graduates seek personal and academic learning that makes a positive difference to themselves and to the world around them. Inspired by their exposure to world-leading research, they are innovative and lifelong learners.
Skill groups:
research and enquiry to identify and creatively tackle problems, and to seek out opportunities for learning.
personal and intellectual autonomy to critically evaluate ideas, evidence and experiences from an open-minded and reasoned perspective.
communication to enhance their understanding of a topic or context and to engage effectively with others.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Christos Vrakopoulos
Tel:
Email: Christos.Vrakopoulos@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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