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Global Capitalism, Crisis & Revolt Welcome!

Welcome to POLI31091 Global Capitalism, Crisis & Revolt

Put simply, the course unit POLI31091 serves as an introduction to Marxian theory and to Marxist analyses of contemporary global capitalism. We'll be learning about and discussing Marx's ideas about how capitalism works as a system, and we'll be looking at how active scholars are using these ideas to make sense of the world in 2022. Be warned: these ideas are quite difficult to get your head around at first, and some of the arguments you'll encounter will be quite forthright and controversial. But you'll get all the help you need to gain a working appreciation of Marxian ideas and arguments, and by the end of the course you'll be in a good position to consider their strengths but also their weaknesses.

So, there'll be lots of Marx and lots of Marxism. If that sounds like an interesting prospect to you, welcome and let's get stuck in!

In a little more detail, the course will introduce students to the basics of Marx's method and of his analysis of capital accumulation. It will introduce you to a relational way of understanding international political economy, and the connections between ‘the global’ and ‘the national’. It will examine - from a Marxist perspective - why capitalism’s history is necessarily the history of global uneven development; why we have witnessed cyclical crises of increasing depth and intensity since the 1970s; why until only recently there has been a consensus among international organisations and governments as to the promotion of global competitiveness; and why and how this consensus has come to be challenged by key actors and ideas – both progressive and reactionary. The course rounds off by visiting contemporary ideas and debates relating to the notion of ‘post-capitalism’.

The course unit will offer students the chance to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary Marxist scholarship in analytical and political terms, touching upon criticisms and suggestions from other radical approaches, including feminist and critical race scholarship.

The Course Unit Director, Greig, is committed to helping you start this course unit with confidence and enthusiasm, and to supporting you through its duration. Greig wants to make the course as enjoyable and rewarding as he can. If at any point you feel you need help with the course, you can arrange to meet individually with Greig at any point during the term during his weekly advice and feedback hours. For more information about Greig's availability, visit the "How to Get Advice and Feedback" area of Blackboard.

On completion of this unit successful students will be able to:
  • understand basic concepts in Marxist theories of capitalism and of international politics;
  • have knowledge of a range of different issues connected with globalisation and the emergence of a global economy, and how Marxists might interpret and debate these historical developments
  • be able to evaluate different scholars’ interpretation of issues related to global capitalism, the causes and effects of crises, and how and why people engage in resistance and revolt
  • crucially, students will enhance their critical, evaluative, and communicative skills through participation in online tutorial activities and in the research and writing of a course essay
Let's get started with a few tips on how best to engage with this course on a weekly basis.

The course will be delivered using a blend of teaching methods. Some of these are 'asynchronous', meaning activities that you'll be expected to complete each week, in your own time, and in advance of your tutorial meeting with Greig. This content is delivered through Blackboard using a mixture of required and optional readings and online engagement activities.

'Synchronous' means the activities you'll be expected to complete in real time, together with Greig and your fellow learners (and even with the odd guest speaker!) in a weekly lecture and tutorial . The tutorial programme lags one week behind the asynchronous element of the course and the weekly lecture, so if you've completed the relevant activities in advance, and completed your Weekly 3-2-1 Exercise (more on this below), you'll be in a good position to engage constructively in the tutorial and to consolidate your learning on a week by week basis.

Here are some things you can do now so that you're in the best possible position to start engaging with the course content

The first thing you can do is to familiarise yourself with the course virtual learning environment (VLE), Blackboard. Click on the X in the corner of this window, return to Blackboard, and you will see a menu listing different areas such as "Reading Lists Online" and "Weekly Course Content". Take a minute or two to familiarise yourself with what's inside them - then return to this window by returning to "Getting Started" in the same menu.

The next thing you should do is to visit the area in Blackboard called "Key Dates & Expectations". Read what's in here very carefully, and download the "Key Dates" document so you can refer to it when you need to. Once you have visited done this you should then visit "The Course Guide" (we would recommend you download this together with the "Politics Part II Guide" for offline reference), followed by "Assessment" (where you'll see instructions on how to complete the Weekly 3-2-1 Exercise I mentioned above). Read and digest the materials in these areas. Once you have finished doing this, you're all set to begin the course!

Don't worry if you still have questions about all this early on in the course. We will make sure everyone is given plenty of further instruction and advice on how to get off to the best possible start. And do note that there are instructions on "How to Get Advice and Feedback" in Blackboard too.

All set? You can begin the course by first entering the "Course Content" area in Blackboard, and then by clicking on "Week 1: Why Marxism?". Have fun!

This material should be treated as private and confidential. © The University of Manchester, 2022 all rights reserved.

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Created with an image by GoodIdeas - "Learn, study and inspect marxism - pictured as a magnifying glass enlarging word marxism, symbolizes researching, exploring and analyzing meaning of marxism, 3d illustration"