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 web page

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.

1. Introduction
2. Critique and Capitalist Hegemony
3. Theories of Transformation
4. Utopian Socialism
5. Technological Change and (Post) Capitalism
6. READING WEEK
7. Workers' Cooperatives and Mondragon
8. Zapatista
9. The Right to the City
10. 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