Contemporary History and Politics

This module examines international history from the 1890s until the post-war period. You will study the European balance of power system, Wilsonian internationalism, the rise of powers such as Japan, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and the outbreak of the Second World War.

You will continue your studies in international history by exploring the Cold War in Europe and Asia, decolonisation, European integration, the superpower relationship and the rise of China and Japan. You will also study the impact of US foreign policy and the global 'war on terror'.

Here you will explore a range of topics that are studied in international politics as well as gaining a more detailed introduction to the study of International Relations. You will analyse the core theories of International Relations and will be able to explain why the key decision makers act the way they do. Through an understanding of these approaches, you will also discuss contemporary developments (e.g. globalisation) in International Politics.

An introduction to the foundation concepts of comparing political regimes (democratic and non-democratic) institutions, and the rules and norms of politics.

This module enables students to develop the skills they need to succeed in Politics and Contemporary History, while applying them to a case study of the Cold War. In a series of lectures and tutorials students will become familiar with the work of historians and will hone their analytical skills by examining primary sources and documents that will help them to understand this global conflict and its importance in the twenty-first century.

This module examines concepts, theories and problems related to representative democracies and representative institutions. Hence, it analyses the nature of different types of democracy, participation and citizenship and representation. The module considers the apparent growing dissatisfaction amongst citizens over past two-three decades and growing generational divides over politics.

The module explores how political systems create mechanisms for controlling the population and generating legitimacy. At the heart of this study are questions about what makes individuals acts as they do and how political power often leaves them powerless whilst maintaining that they have complete control.

This module will provide a detailed analysis of the major themes and Global issues between the start of the American Revolutionary War in 1775 and the First World War in 1914. Its main focus will be on the global outbreak of Revolutions globally, considering events in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. It also considers broader revolutions like the Industrial revolution, as well as the political and diplomatic development of the European alliance system. The module will also examine the major developments in cultural and social international history and will demonstrate how it is impossible to have an adequate grasp of the events of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries without first understanding the 'shape' of the century that preceded both of these.

This module focuses on the key methodologies used in the politics and international relations disciplines as a means of preparing you for a Level 6 Dissertation. 

This module prepares you to become a researcher in history when you write a successful 12,000-word undergraduate history dissertation in Year three. It will give you a wider insight into the historical research methods appropriate to the historical discipline the diverse nature of historical sources and allows you to build vital analytical skills that you will employ on your dissertation. You will have the chance to visit and utilise local archives to enhance your research

You will complete a 12,000-word research dissertation on the subject of your choice. This is your opportunity to make a genuine contribution to scholarly research as you develop your ideas and investigate your chosen topic. The dissertation counts as two modules.

This module explores the First World War as a Total War. It alternates between a chronological examination of military operations and thematic coverage of issues such as economics, mobilisation, diplomacy, and revolutions.

Studying political corruption in detail you will explore the dynamics and impact of this problem for western democracies through key theories and case studies.

This module assesses the growing influence of internet on democracy and politics. The study of the internet is placed in context of the evolution of media technologies over past thirty years. In doing so, you examine whether the internet: is stimulating more global protest movements and also new form of terrorism; is a liberation technology potential undermining the power of authoritarian regimes; or alternatively is a tool for increased surveillance and control; is changing the nature of lections and election campaigning. These issues are explored through case studies such as: the rise of Corbyn in the Labour Party and the role played social media or, how the rise of so-called fake news is impacting on political debate.

This module explores Britain’s role in encouraging and supporting resistance movements in Europe during the Second World War through the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the organisation established in July 1940 and instructed by Churchill to ‘set Europe ablaze’. The module makes extensive use of surviving SOE documents, now available at the National Archives, and considers their value within the context of official release policy and censorship under Section 3 (4) of the Public Records Act.

The module provides a comprehensive introduction to Chinese foreign policy since 1949 in terms of its history, traditions and characteristics; examines the key economic, diplomatic, security and geopolitical issues to identify and explain Chinese foreign policy goals and their implementation; explores the sources of conflict, competition and cooperation in Chinese foreign policy behaviours, assessing competing theoretical explanations in International Relations for key events and policies. Moreover, the module investigates the implications of China’s rise for the distribution of power at the international and regional levels as well as for global governance.

This module allows you to examine Britain’s varied involvement in counter-insurgency operations since 1945. After an initial engagement with the theories and principles of insurgency and counter-insurgency, the module will cover the cases of Kenya, Malaya, Northern Ireland, Britain’s continuing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some lesser known cases.

This module explores the development and evolution of international environmental regimes and the impact on key issues such as: climate change, air pollution, whaling and fisheries, food and agriculture, hazardous waste, biodiversity and the management of oceans and seas. You will learn about politics of environmental protection and economic development, including North-South divisions in global negotiations. 

Since the announcement of its invention in 1839, the medium of photography has influenced human activity in fields as diverse as science and leisure, politics and personal relationships. Nowhere has its impact been more dramatic, however, than in the representation of conflict during the 20th century.

Addressing the photography of conflict, using Britain as its primary case study from the start of World War I to the 21st century, this module takes a critical approach to a range of photographic imagery made and circulated in times of conflict including press, amateur, protest and even fine art photography. It also examines the importance of news images in shaping public attitudes to conflict.

This module focuses a key question for contemporary politics: does the current rise of authoritarianism across the world mean that democracy as we know it is under threat? We try to answer this question by looking at the core concepts of democratic backsliding / autocratisation and democratic resilience, and by discussing a wide range of case studies, which include: the relationship between populism and democracy; the rise of the far right; transnational repression (how autocrats seek to repress dissidents abroad); autocratic diffusion (do authoritarian leaders learn from each other?); the rise of ‘anti-gender’ movements’; the role of disinformation and misinformation in autocratisation; and case studies of democratic resilience (the extent to which state and non-state actors are able to counteract the current wave of autocratisation). 

An exciting and unique opportunity to work in an area relating to politics including with an MP in London or in their constituency office, Non-governmental organizations, and Trade Unions as part of your degree. There is also the chance to develop your own placement which would be accredited by us. You will put your research and communication skills to work in a challenging setting that places you at the centre of British politics.

Develop your knowledge of political economy in this module, which aims to help develop critical ways of thinking about the contemporary world of work and the political economies of production our post-industrial world.

This module explores American conflicts in history and memory. It takes a chronological approach from colonial conflict to the 21st century and evaluates five conflicts. Each conflict will be dissected over two weeks – the first week will look at the history of the conflict itself, and the second week will look at how the conflict is remembered. The course considers how experience of war has shaped Americans' identities and definitions of citizenship, as well as the relationships among memory, place, and political power. Students’ will engage with the collective memory of war and peace as they examine questions of whose histories are remembered and forgotten, the ways myths of war are created for political purpose, definitions of heroism, and how memories of war shift over time.

This module provides the opportunity to learn or develop a language with the University-wide language programme.