PO240-15 Capitalism and Its Alternatives
Introductory description
Mainstream political discourses often alllude to the fact that, in the context of globalization, there is little choice but to pursue particular kinds of policies. Critical discourses in political economy, on the other hand, have often spoken of the need to replace capitalism with an alternative. This module scrutinizes the way in which discourses of this kind might combine in order to produce and reinforce liberal-market forms of capitalsm. It aims to illustrate the complexity involved in identifying 'capitalist' and 'alternative' forms of social, political, and economic relations, consider the processes through which the transformation of these social relations might occur, and introduces and critically discuss examples of both real and imagined alternatives to capitalism.
Module aims
- To scrutinise claims that there is no alternative to liberal market capitalism
- To scrutinise critiques of liberal market capitalism and its alternatives
- To develop an understanding of various theories of social, political, and economic transformation
- To examine various alternative capitalist and non-capitalist forms of social and economic organisation in practice
- To develop student’s research and writing skills
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.
- Introduction
- Critique and Capitalist Hegemony
- Theories of Transformation
- Utopian Socialism
- Technological Change and (Post) Capitalism
- READING WEEK
- Workers' Cooperatives and Mondragon
- Zapatista
- The Right to the City
- Humanising Capitalism
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Be able to critically engage with the notion that there is no alternative to liberal market capitalism
- Understand the relative merits of critiques of liberal market capitalism and its alternatives
- Critically assess the relative merits of various theories of social, political, and economic transformation
- Have a rounded empirical knowledge of various alternative capitalist and non-capitalist forms of social and economic organisation
- Have developed their research and essay writing skills
Indicative reading list
E. O. Wright (2010) Envisioning Real Utopias Verso
J.K. Gibson-Graham (1996) The End of Capitalism as We Knew it University of Minnesota Press
J.K. Gibson-Graham (2006) A Post Capitalist Politics, University of Minnesota Press
G. Claeys (1991) A New View of Society and Other Writings Penguin
N. Srnicek and A Williams (2015) Inventing the Future Verso Books
G. Standing (2011) The Precariat I. B. Tauris
D. Harvey (2013) Rebel Cities Verso Books
C. Rogers (2014) Capitalism and Its Alternatives Zed Books
J. Holloway (2005) Change the World Without Taking Power Pluto Press
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Subject specific skills
To scrutinise claims that there is no alternative to liberal market capitalism
- To scrutinise critiques of liberal market capitalism and its alternatives
- To develop an understanding of various theories of social, political, and economic transformation
- To examine various alternative capitalist and non-capitalist forms of social and economic organisation in practice
- To develop student’s research and writing skills
Transferable skills
The module provides students with opportunities to acquire or develop the following key skills:
Develop your reading comprehension through an engagement with the core texts
Develop your analytical writing skills through the preparation of summative assessments
Develop your group working skills through seminar discussions
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Private study | 132 hours (88%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
seminar reading and formative essays
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book Review | 20% | 15 hours | Yes (extension) |
|
Students will be required to write a 750 word review of a book from a list provided by the module director. Students should provide a summary of the core arguments of the text, and offer a critical reflection on the strength of its arguments with reference to other interventions in the core debates studied on the module. The assessment should be submitted in week 7, and so this engagement should principally be with material covered in the module in the weeks before reading week. |
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| Essay Portfolio | 80% | 20 hours | Yes (extension) |
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Students will be required to answer two questions to form an essay portfolio. Questions will reflect the breadth of the module. Submission will be on the 2nd Wednesday of the subsequent term. Each answer should not exceed 1250 words and should be fully referenced. |
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Feedback on assessment
PAIS feedback form
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 2 of UECA-LM1D Undergraduate Economics, Politics and International Studies
- Year 2 of UPOA-M162 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Quantitative Methods
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 3 of UPOA-M163 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and French
- Year 3 of UPOA-M164 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and German
- Year 3 of UPOA-M166 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Hispanic Studies
- Year 3 of UPOA-M165 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Italian
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics