International relations

The Rise and Fall of Neoliberalism

Module code: L2025
Level 5
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Seminar, Lecture
Assessment modes: Essay, Coursework

What is neoliberalism? How is power organised in the contemporary political economy and who are the winners and losers from this process? How do struggles from below challenge neoliberalism? These are some of the questions we will explore in this module where we will examine the rise, and the more debatable fall, of neoliberalism.

We will consider issues such as:

• corporate power
• the way debt has transformed everyday life
• the changing fortunes of labour
• struggles from the Global South against neoliberalism.

We will debate whether we think neoliberalism has actually fallen or whether – zombie-like – it continues to live on.

Module learning outcomes

• To investigate the extent to which a distinctive IPE perspective on the study of international relations has been established
• To assess some of the various approaches to IPE in the context of specific historical events and phenomena
• To provide a solid historical and theoretical basis for a critical scrutiny of the evolution and contemporary configuration of the global political economy