| Unit name | Capitalism (Level H Reflective History) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST30073 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Julio Decker |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The modern world rests on capitalism and the numerous ways in which it was reshaped and took hold globally. As a mode of production and exchange, it not only informs market dynamics but also shapes social and gender relations as well as cultural and political systems. After falling out of fashion in the historical profession after the end of the cold war, historians have recently re-engaged with the history of capitalism, often in the emerging field of global history. Combining classic approaches in the interpretation of capitalism as a historical force with these new perspective, this unit aims to explore fundamental questions about the organization of modern societies. How did capitalism emerge and what forces led to its worldwide dominance? Does capitalism need free labour? How can we explain the Great Divergence and Western dominance and does it relate to the history of the production and consumption of global commodities? What are the dynamics of resistance, revolution, and reform regarding the economic, political, and social organization of societies? Does capitalism control the state or do national and international institutions shape markets and economies?
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate:
(1) an advanced understanding of the relationship between capitalism, markets, labour, and society;
(2) the ability to analyse and generalise how market forces, states, and individual agency have interacted in diverse geographical and temporal settings;
(3) the ability to select pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate more general issues and arguments drawing on the wide range of methodological approaches discussed in the unit;
(4) the ability to identify a particular academic interpretation, evaluate it critically, and form an individual viewpoint.
One 2 hour seminar per week.
A 24-hour exam. This will assess ILOs 1-4
Baily, Christopher; The Birth of the Modern World 1780-1914. Global Connections and Comparisons (2004)
Beckert, Sven; Empire of Cotton. A New History of Global Capitalism (2013)
Muller, Jerry Z.; The Mind and the Market. Capitalism in Western Thought (2003)
Pomeranz, Kenneth. The Great Divergence. China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy, 1400 to the Present (1999)
Stanziani, Allessandro; Bondage. Labor and Rights in Eurasia from the Sixteenth to the Early Twentieth Centuries (2014)
Thompson, E.P.; The Making of the English Working Class (1963)
