| Unit name | Money, Finance & Power in the Global Political Economy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM0050 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Appleton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is the unit important?
The unit aims to deepen students’ theoretical and empirical understanding of one of the central categories of political economy – money - and its relationship to power and authority in the contemporary global political economy. The unit will give students the opportunity to explore the ways in which the role of money has been theorised in political economy, as well the ways in which money is created and managed at the national and international level. It will also develop students’ knowledge and understanding of empirical transformations in the governance of the global economy more broadly, locating the foundations of contemporary practices and processes of financialisation in shifts in the balance of social power between labour and capital driven by financial innovation and the emergence of the new economy – and the gig economy
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Students will evaluate the influence of these practices on the development theory and interventions of international financial institutions. The unit will invite students to consider the longer-range significance of the financialisation of capitalism in the strategies employed by governments and central banks in periods of crisis, and the potential for geopolitical rebalancing in the international order following from the emergence of new elements of the international financial architecture.
An overview of content:
The unit will begin with a grounding in key theorisations of money, and the processes through which it is ‘made’, with a view to understanding how these relate to the international regimes through which monetary relations are governed – linking specific historic understandings of money to modalities through which power is exercised in the global political economy. We then turn to examine the social foundations of the contemporary dollar-based international order and the neoliberal or ‘financialised’ mode of development. To this end, we consider the role of debt and credit in everyday life, the role of labour in a financialised economy, the way in which financialisation shapes state capacities and strategies of development, and the long-run impact of the 2008 financial crisis. Finally, we reflect on the uneven experience of financialisation in the global political economy and evaluate the ways in which this has shaped and created the conditions for transformation of the international order – and what this may mean for ‘development’ in both North and South.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Students will gain:
Learning Outcomes:
Successful candidates will be able to:
The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks:
Tasks which count towards your unit mark:
1000 word essay plan and brief annotated bibliography (25%) [ILO 1- 4]:
3000 word essay (75%) [ILO 1-4]:
Both assessments address Learning Outcomes 1-4.
When assessment does not go to plan:
You will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. Students will be expected to submit an essay on a different topic chosen from the list provided by the tutor.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. POLIM0050).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
