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Communist Lives

Module description

One of the most important political and economic forces of the 20th-century was Communism. The ideology shaped and shapes lives, both of individuals, groups and whole countries. This interdisciplinary module examines renowned individuals who dedicated their lives to the cause, analysing their motivations and activities as iconic figures in the world of communism. Each of them will be linked with a particular theme relevant for the understanding of communism, including gender, the nature of political commitment, transnational cultures, and the importance of an international perspective or the economy.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module gives you the opportunity to interrogate common assumptions or generalisations about Communism and explore key questions related to the ideology through the lives of individuals. The teaching will be shared among colleagues with an expertise in a variety of countries where Communism played and/or plays a role, including China, Germany, Russia, Spain and the UK and therefore allows for cross-disciplinary insights into history, politics and culture. It also questions the role of individuals in political processes.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. To develop subject-specific knowledge – an understanding of some of the key themes in the study of Communism
• 2. To make interdisciplinary connections between communist countries throughout the 20th century

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. To develop research skills using libraries and the internet, in particular dealing with a large amount of information
• 4. To recognise a range of paradigms for understanding ideas related to Communism and be able to discuss and analyse them

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. To develop skills in expressing intellectual ideas in a cross-disciplinary context
• 6. To understand how to link issues of ideology to historical developments
• 7. To be able to reflect critically on a topic that is frequently linked with stereotypical thinking and issues of nationalism

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

The consideration of individual thinkers and politicians from China, The Soviet Union, Germany, Spain and the UK, such as Rosa Luxemburg, Dolores Ibarruri (La Pasionaria) and Olga Berggolts

The discussion of key themes such as gender, the economy, the international and political thought.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

TBC

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6553

Key words search

Communism