Configuring the World: A Critical Political Economy Approach
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Course Date: 01 September 2014 to 27 October 2014 (8 weeks)
In today’s world, politics and economics are inextricably interconnected, but what is the nature of this connectivity? What are the power relationships that shape the world economy today and create new challenges for international institutions facing globalization? What makes some countries wealthier than others? Do we face cultural diversity or fragmentation? Does the type of governance effect economic development and social change or is it the other way around? How do we measure it and how trustworthy is the data? These issues and many more will be examined in this course along with up-to-date sources and biting criticism.
Richard T. Griffiths is
Emeritus Professor of Economic and Social History and Professor of
International Studies at Leiden University. He is a visiting professor at
Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok) and Renmin University (Beijing). His main
research interests have been in economic development, development assistance
and the history of European integration.
Before joining Leiden
University, Griffiths had been professor of Contemporary History at the
European University Institute (Florence) where he directed the permanent
research project of European integration history, professor economic history at
the Free University (Amsterdam) and assistant professor of European Studies at
Manchester University. He graduated in Economic History and Russian Studies at Swansea
University and obtained his PhD from Cambridge University for a thesis on the industrial
retardation of the Netherlands in the first half on the nineteenth century.
The course is composed of eight modules that together will introduce students to the influences that shape the world in which we live today. It will examine the forces that explain the differences between success and failure in economic development and
effective government in different countries. It will view how these forces also interact in the global economy.
The course will offer two tracks. One for those following the course and taking the tests and the other for students preparing individual assignments.
1. Will I get a certificate or Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?
Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.
2. Do I earn
Leiden University credits upon completion of this class?
No. The certificate of completion is not part of a formal qualification from Leiden University.
3. What resources
will I need for this class?
Currently we are negotiating to get all necessary reading material to be downloadable for free from the course web site.
4. What are the learning outcomes of this
course and why should I take it?
After this course you
will be able:
-To describe the interrelationships between society,
politics and economics from different perspectives, disciplines and
explain research methods social scientists use to measure societal variables.
identify the limitations of social science indices and the effect on the
credibility of subsequent statistical analysis.
criticize important relationships in political economy by using theoretical
notions and practical examples.
design your own comparative research into a region of the world by applying data
base management and visualization techniques.
-To discuss societal issues using your own empirical
5. Why do you
offer this course for free?
Leiden University is grounded in a long standing tradition in providing students the space for obtaining a thorough and multifaceted education. This MOOC offers us the possibility to share our knowledge globally.
the World. What do we know of the world? Mostly we know where most people live
and whether they are richer or poorer. This module reexamines the patterns of
world demographics and economic development.
Over the past half century or more, the World has become more interdependent.
In the ‘hyperglobalist’ literature this is attributed to a reduced role of the
state and the victory of market forces. But economic markets are political
constructions, without which transactions will not happen.
Underlying all human activity is the concept of trust. At the extreme, the
complete absence of trust, individuals fall back on closed circles of
friendship and kinship and they will ‘privatise’ their involvement in public
institutions. In the ensuing uncertainty, businesses will cut back their
planning perspectives and societies will start to fragment.
or Fragmentation. Cultural differences can enrich societies, but under
different circumstances, they also serve to undermine social cohesion, and weaken
the foundations of trust. Extremes in
income distribution, whether geographically or individually, may also have
negative effects for society as a whole.
Governance is the
channel through which trust is linked to policy outcomes, such as growth and
prosperity (and egalitarian policies). Poor institutional quality undermines
trust, which in turn impacts on growth and prosperity. It also affects the
ability of states to fulfil their international obligations.
Development and Social Change. Helping to promote economic development in other
countries has been an international concern since the end of the second World
War. Having seen decades of failure of development aid to close the
income gaps, the current orthodoxy is prioritizing the implementation of market oriented
Institutions. The globalized economy is controlled and regulated by a network
of international organizations. There is some debate about the extent to which
they serve to modify state behavior, and it is also important to remember
that they are also reflect the
international power balance.
Actors. Despite the focus of so much literature and analysis on the level of
nation states, it is businesses that trade, not states. And it is international
finance, rather than international trade, that is responsible for most of the
qualitative transformation of the globalized world economy.
The student will have short videos with
in-course quizzes and surveys. Assignments will be an important part of the quiz and are
discussed in peer-groups. The assignments will allow students to refine and
develop their skills in data-management and presentation. At the end of each
bloc, there will be multiple-choice quizzes that will contribute to the final
grade. The course will be completed with a 20-30 question multiple choice exam.
The multiple choice quizzes will be randomized and based on mastery learning.