2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PIED3315 Contemporary West European Socialist Parties

20 creditsClass Size: 20

Module manager: Professor D S Bell
Email: D.S.Bell@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2008/09

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

Since the 1950s the Second International socialist parties have been one of the main components of Western European party systems. This has remained the case into the Twenty First century and they are major governing parties in all the major states of the European Union. However, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, these parties have lost the ideological initiative and face a new set of challenges posed by the restructuring of western societies. The first part of the module looks at the position of the major parties in their respective political systems and deals with the parties in turn. This will focus on the problems and issues faced by the parties and their solutions to them. In the second part some comparative conclusions about the situation of contemporary western socialism will be investigated and the generalisations about the contemporary left will be tested. The issues raised are currently being debated in the specialist and popular press and the discussion will engage with these concerns.For further information see the School of Politics and International Studies website. If you cannot find the answer to your question then email d.s.bell@leeds.ac.uk

Objectives

This module is an introduction to the contemporary Western European Socialist parties. There are two parts: one will be a discussion of the major individual parties based and the second will be a comparative study of the ideology and sociology of western socialism today. Work will be based on the English language literature and there will be an overview of the general position of the parties' electoral and social support as well as of their status within their political systems. This module will raise the main issues facing the western Socialist parties and their current response to the challenges of western politics. There will be a critical engagement with the issues raised as well as an analysis of contemporary politics.

Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the politics of parties in specific systems
- Demonstrate an ability to engage critically with conceptual problems. Demonstrate an ability to engage critically with conceptual problems
- Communicate ideas accurately and clearly.

Syllabus

1. Introduction

Part I - Case studies
2. Labour in Britain
3. The French Parti socialiste
4. The German SPD
5. The Italian Left
6. Swedish Social Democracy
7. The Spanish PSOE

Part II - Comparative
8. What's left of the left of the left?
9. Voting patterns
10. Ideological questions

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Seminar	11	2.00	22.00
Private study hours			178.00
Total Contact hours			22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students are required to read core and additional readings listed in the reading list in preparation for seminar discussion and essays. This entails careful and reflective reading, note-taking, summarising, preparation for class discussion, and developing a sense of a field of literature in addition to engagement with individual readings. Students will have to use their initiative and skills of discernment in finding additional material relevant to the course topics.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Student attendance will be monitored on a weekly basis;
- Presentations are a requirement of the module so student contribution to class discussion will be monitored throughout the course, but not assessed
- A short 1,500 word non-assessed essay is also required for this module

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2 x 3,000 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 03/04/2009

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