Introductory description

N/A

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

An indicative schedule of topics is as follows:
Week 1: Introduction: What does it mean to be studying political economy?
Week 2: States and Markets: Are there economic contradictions of democracy consistent with a
political business cycle?
Week 3: The Market Economy: What exactly is a market and how do we know when we are acting
within one?
Week 4: Growth and Development: Why do some countries have faster growth than others and is
growth necessarily a good thing in all circumstances?
Week 5: Financial Crisis: Where do economic crises come from and why has the world economy
appeared to be increasingly prone to financial crises?
Week 6: Reading Week
Week 7: Theories of Value: How do we ascribe economic value to things and what does the
process of ascription tell us about the ideological structures in which we live?
Week 8: Global Inequalities: Why has global inequality increased and why does the same global
economic system produce mega-riches for some in the context of grinding poverty for others?
Week 9: Class Politics: Who, what and where are the working class today, and how does class now
interact with other elements of economic identity?
Week 10: The Future of Capitalism: Are we all capitalist now and is this a condition that we should
celebrate?

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of how political economy contributes to the study of politics as a whole.
• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of different approaches to the study of political economy.
• Be able to relate scholarly literature theorising political economy and actual contemporary developments including very topical events.
• Be able to make informed comparisons of various strengths and weaknesses of different political systems or regimes.
• Ability to analyse critically complex ideas, both orally and in writing, in relation to the issues influencing the transformation of the economy.

Indicative reading list

O'Brien, R. and Williams, M. (2010) Global Political Economy, third edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ravenhill, J. (ed) (2011) Global Political Economy, third edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Blyth, M. (eds) (2009) Routledge Handbook of International Political Economy: IPE as a Global Conversation, London: Routledge.
Crane, G. T. and Amawi, A. (eds) The Theoretical Evolution of International Political Economy, second edition (Oxford University Press, 1997).
Phillips, N. (ed) (2005) Globalizing International Political Economy, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Stilwell, F. (2012) Political Economy: The Contest of Economic Ideas, third edition, Oxford: Oxford
University Press
Strange, S. (2003) States and Markets, second edition, London: Continuum
Stubbs, R. and Underhill, G. (2006) Political Economy and the Changing Global Order, third
edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Tabb, W. (1999) Reconstructing Political Economy: The Great Divide in Economic Thought,
London: Routledge
Watson, M. (2005) Foundations of International Political Economy, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.

Subject specific skills

NA

Transferable skills

Communication skills Lateral thinking skills Skills in the distillation and application of complex information and ideas Critical thinking Analytical skills Independent research skills Reflecting on what makes 'good' supporting evidence Problem solving Time management Information Technology Skills in academic practice Awareness of, and sensitivity to, diversity Decision making Educational self-awareness skills Awareness of, and sensitivity to, the relation of knowledge to the context in which it is generated