Politics

Global Crisis and European Political Economy

Module code: L1998
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay, Coursework

The European Political Economy has been profoundly impacted by crisis. This module will introduce you to the key themes and debates on:

• the origins and effects of the 2008 global financial crash
• the eurozone crisis
• the contemporary challenges facing Europe’s political economies.

This module will explore the contested origins and impact of these crises, and interrogate the ways in which political elites have responded to them. It will focus on the impact of the crisis in the European periphery, on political systems, and explore the role of the media. The module will introduce you to key theoretical debates on European political economy, austerity, financialisation and neoliberalism.

Module learning outcomes

• Assess and critically evaluate how existing relevant literature can be used to explain the Global Financial Crisis, the Eurozone Crisis, and contemporary challenges facing Europe’s political economies
• Critically apply various theoretical perspectives to develop their own framework to make sense of the lead-up to, or process of, or implications of the Global Financial Crisis, the Eurozone Crisis, and contemporary challenges facing Europe’s political economies
• Demonstrate the analytical skills required to carry out an independent and original undergraduate research project related to the Global Financial Crisis, the Eurozone Crisis, and contemporary challenges facing Europe’s political economies
• Produce written work that critically analyses a topic related to the political economy of the global financial, the eurozone crises, and contemporary challenges facing Europe’s political economies, and that observes appropriate scholarly conventions