Module
International Political Economy
Module description
The module looks historically at the way ‘politics’ is put into the term political economy, from Adam Smith onwards, to question mainstream economic ideology. It evaluates assumptions about the identity of economic agents, the visions in economic thought that this gives rise to and the significance for theory building. These philosophical perspectives are used to critically explore contemporary issues in international political economy such as the nature and logic of capitalism, the rise of neo-liberalism, new economic thinking and globalisation.
Additional Information:
Internationalisation
International Political Economy critically reviews the economic paradigms that provide alternative explanations for how the material world is explained. As such the course content is inherently international throughout.
Sustainability & Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
Given the critical nature of the course the meaning of issues like sustainability, ethics and corporate social responsibility are examined within paradigms that the course examines. That is to say that there are economic and political interpretations of what the term might mean.
Employability
The philosophical and critical nature of the course affords students the opportunity to examine the issues that would otherwise be taken for granted. The course challenges understandings of common sense. As a consequence students’ analytical skills are enhanced enabling a possible deeper conception of the nature of the problematic under investigation. A case study is provided by the financial crash of 2007-8.
Full module specification
| Module title: | International Political Economy |
|---|---|
| Module code: | BEE3042 |
| Module level: | 3 |
| Academic year: | 2020/1 |
| Module lecturers: |
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| Module credit: | 15 |
| ECTS value: | 7.5 |
| Pre-requisites: | At least one of the conditions from list A and one of the conditions from list B List A 1) BEE2024 2) BEE2038 and BEE2039 3) BEE2025 and BEE2026 List B 1) BEE2006 2) BEE2020 3) BEE2031 4) BEE2032 |
| Co-requisites: | None |
| Duration of module: |
Duration (weeks) - term 1: 11 |
Module aims
The aims of the module are to develop the themes introduced in the first year modules in the Introduction to Political Economy and the Philosophy of Economics by their application to contemporary issues in globalisation, ethics and morality, economic methodology and ideology.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Describe the concept of institutions.
- 2. Explain the role of institutions in shaping economic conditions.
- 3. Explain the role of history in shaping institutions.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 4. Discuss an important underlying framework for economic development.
- 5. Indicate the frontier research topics in the area of economic development.
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 6. Demonstrate writing and analytical skills.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 125 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 20 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 5 | Seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 125 | Researching, reading, reflection; Preparation for lectures, tutorials and seminars; |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students will be provided with materials for discussion in tutorials. Feedback will be provided on the basis of the discussion. | 60 Minutes | 1-6 | Oral/Online |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 80 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written examination | 80 | 2 hours | 1-6 | Written(via ELE/eBart) |
| Individual Ex | 20 | 2000 words | 1-6 | Written(via ELE/eBart) |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination (80%) | 2 Hours Exam | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral Period |
| Individual Essay (20%) | 2000 words | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral Period |
Syllabus plan
- Introduction
- The empirical relationship between institutions and economic development
- Colonialism and institutions
- Persistence of institutions
- Functions of institutions
- Democracy and economic development
- Social institutions
- Historical conditions and institutions in Africa
- Historical conditions and institutions in the Middle East
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
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Articles to be provided in the syllabus
Avner Greif, “Institutions and Path to Modern Economy”, 2006.
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Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Origin date
01/09/2005
Last revision date
05/09/2020