Contemporary Capitalism, Critique and Resistance

Module title	Contemporary Capitalism, Critique and Resistance
Module code	SOC2105
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Ernesto Schwartz Marin (Lecturer)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	40

Module description

The concept of ‘capitalism’ is extensively used in the social scientific literature. It has, too, re-emerged recently within public and political discourse, across the political spectrum. While it aims to capture a particular way of organising economic life or ‘mode of production,’ it has also been used to capture a range of phenomena of a social, political and cultural character. In this module, we shall study how contemporary capitalism operates by investigating the distinctive relationship between the economic, political, social, cultural and environmental spheres underpinning it. We will engage critically with that relationship, in order to understand the motivations behind contemporary resistance movements, such as the Global Justice Movement and Occupy, and reflect on whether this latest capitalist stage marks the ‘end of history’ or offers fresh opportunities for large-scale transformations. This module is suitable for non-specialist students and will appeal to students from a broad range of disciplines beyond those of the SPA department, such as Economics, Business and Management and Politics.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to provide you with an in-depth knowledge of various institutions, organisations, processes, values and resistance movements making up the contemporary Western world. By encouraging you to engage critically with these topics, it also aims to equip you with the means to question taken-for-granted assumptions about the contemporary situation, understand the factors leading to different forms of social and environmental problems, forms of social unrest responding to them, as well as the achievements and shortcomings of contemporary resistance movements.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of a range of perspectives on contemporary capitalism
2. Critically evaluate these perspectives and relate them to empirical studies and findings
3. Critically evaluate the effects of powerful social actors decisions and resistance movements on the social structure, culture, the economy and the environment

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Reflect upon, apply, and criticise sociological theories and empirical findings
5. Demonstrate in writing and orally a capacity question taken-for-granted assumptions

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

6. Engage in complex arguments in writing, orally and in small groups
7. Identify problems and anticipate possible avenues for solving them

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:

What is capitalism?
Capitalism in historical perspective
Financialisation
Flexibilisation
Personal responsibilisation
Privatisation
The ‘restoration of class power’ and ideology
Neoliberal governmentality
Contemporary global social movements: GJM and Occupy
The ‘end of history’?

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	22	11 x two-hour weekly lecture/seminar (or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar)
Guided Independent Study	2	Guidance for case-study analysis
Guided Independent Study	36	Readings for seminars and tutorials
Guided independent study	45	Researching and writing essay
Guided independent study	45	Researching and writing the case study commentary

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Formative essay plan (of summative case study)	500 words	1-7	Written feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
50	50	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Exam	50	1 hour	1-7	Written and oral feedback
Case study commentary	50	1800 words	1-7	Written and oral feedback
	0
	0
	0
	0

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
Exam	Exam (1 hour) 50%	1-7	August/September reassessment period
Case study commentary	Case study commentary (1800 words) 50%	1-7	August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Boltanski, L. and Chiapello, E. (2005) The New Spirit of Capitalism. London: Verso

Bourdieu, P. (1998) Acts of Resistance: Against the New Myths of our Time. Cambridge: Polity

Della Porta, D. (2015) Social Movements in Times of Austerity. Cambridge: Polity

Duménil, G. and Lévy, D. (2004) Capital Resurgent: The Roots of the Neoliberal Revolution, Boston, MA: Harvard University Press

Harvey, D. (2005) A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Masquelier, C. (2017) Critique and Resistance in a Neoliberal Age: Towards a Narrative of Emancipation, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Key words search

Capitalism; social movements; critique; neoliberalism

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	25/10/2017
Last revision date	28/07/2022