Politics

Political Change: Contemporary France

Module code: L2157
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Coursework, Essay

Political change, and how best to implement it, underpins French political history, and presents an ongoing challenge for successive presidents and governments in contemporary France. Paradoxically, while elections are typically won on a mandate for change, attempts to implement electoral promises are then frequently met with powerful resistance from the electorate and from groups representing vested interests. This creates a pattern wherein continuously alternating governments are unable to implement the fundamental reforms that are widely considered to be necessary, leading to a perennial problem of ‘immobilism’. This module explores the reasons for this situation, and seeks to identify why, and in what ways, some areas are more resistant to change than others.

Module learning outcomes

• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of key aspects of the forces that favour or hinder political change in France
• Critically evaluate relevant literature from both academic and non-academic sources
• Devise and sustain arguments with reference to political change in France
• Produce written work that critically analyses a topic in the politics of contemporary France and that observes appropriate scholarly conventions