Political and Social Change in Contemporary Europe (L2091)

15 credits, Level 5

Autumn teaching

On this module, you’ll examine the major social changes in Western Europe since 1945, and in post-communist European countries since the collapse of communism.

Using the social scientist’s idea of ‘cleavages’ you’ll explore divisions in society such as:

• religion
• class
• gender
• ethnicity.

You’ll then analyse their influence on political behaviour.

The module also covers factors driving social change and political affiliation, including:

• nationalism
• populism
• regionalism
• postmaterialism.

You’ll also explore how recent demographic trends, such as declining birth rates and ageing populations, impact social and political behaviour.

Although grounded in social science, this module is taught in an accessible way for students from any discipline.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses:

• Law with Politics LLB