Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2100: Political Conflicts in Europe

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

 

Party political conflict

  • Party systems and party families in Eastern and Western Europe
  • The rise of right-wing populism in Western and Northern Europe
  • Economic hardship and political conflict (case studies from Southern Europe)

 

The rise and fall of democracy

  • The promotion of democracy and EU enlargement (case studies: Eastern European countries, Balkan)
  • The quality of democracy (e.g. Poland and Hungary)
  • Political culture: trust and mistrust in political institutions in the East and West
  • Elite-mass linkages in a time of ‘post-factual’ politics

 

Globalisation and European integration

  • European identity: threat or unifying force?
  • Globalisation and immigration as a conflict at the national level
  • The nature of political conflict at the European level

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities2211 x 2-hour lectures with a mix of lecture, collective discussion, and presentations
Guided Independent Study78Preparation and completion of course assignments (50 hours essay, 14 hours presentation, 14 hours reaction paper)
Guided Independent Study50Reading for seminars

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).