| Unit name | European Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODLM2046 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Raymond |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The unit will examine the evolution of modern European society, both in terms of the political and social pressures that have shaped its constituent parts and in the way the impetus for change crossed national borders. Beginning with the challenge to absolutism in France and the struggle for the establishment of the democratic nation-state in Europe, the unit will chart the triumph of liberal democracy through changes like the establishment of universal suffrage, the acceptance of trade unions and the foundations of the welfare state. It will then analyse the dynamics that led to challenges to the liberal democratic model, from left and right, ranging from fascist authoritarianism at one extreme to communist totalitarianism at the other. Finally the unit will consider the restoration of liberal democracy, the forces behind the creation of a European social and political entity and the transition to what is sometimes called managed democracy.
