King's College London

This course introduces students to the study of History and Political Economy. Students consider the difficulties related to data collection and the use of proxies in historical contexts. They review the main methodological approaches used by scholars in this field, and they  probe the advantages and limits of History and Political Economy as a discipline in answering some of the most challenging questions of our time: Why do humans cooperate? What are the origins of democracy and the rule of law? Why are some countries more developed than others? And what lessons can we draw from historical institutions to redesign our own?

The course covers the history of Britain from the late 18th century through to c.1870. The focus is on political history broadly defined. Consideration is given to the impact of ideological, sexual, demographic, social, cultural, and economic change on the political process and policy-making, as well as more conventional issues such as constitutional reform and party politics. The course seeks to provide students with an appreciation of the wider contexts in which politics took place (social contexts especially), as well as a secure understanding of political developments themselves. 

The course addresses the place of race and racism in Western and non-Western political theory (to the extent that these should even be considered separate entities). The course fosters a conversation between a variety of different Western and non-Western thinkers in order to ask questions as how important ideas of race are or should be in political theory, how certain ideas of race came to dominate in certain contexts, how explicit or implicit racism is in certain thinkers and ideologies, whether we should consider key thinkers to be racist or whether those ideas can be separated from their other political arguments, and what it means when such questions are overlooked.

This course engages with some of the key theories, approaches and findings that explore how language and social interaction underpin organizational life. The course draws on an interdisciplinary research field to interrogate the unique properties of "organizational discourse" and "institutional talk." It is structured around studies of organizational texts (e.g. recruitment brochures, mission statements, websites, and adverts), as well as studies of social interaction in organizational settings (e.g. business meetings, call centers, healthcare delivery, and sales encounters). 

Science is a source of a great deal of our knowledge about the world, but what gives it its claim to epistemic authority? Is there something special about the scientific method, or is it an extension of everyday reasoning? To what extent can science tell us about things we can’t observe? And how might we reconcile a positive answer to the previous questions with the knowledge that science is a social enterprise and subject to many of society’s failings? 

Social justice has long been at the heart of 'development' – alongside economic growth, environmental sustainability and accountable governance. Further, these other goals are often regarded as instrumental to justice: growth enables surplus for redistribution; sustainability ensures fairness to future generations; and accountability promotes more equitable shares. Rather than debate ‘social justice’ in abstract terms, this course engages with embedded, ethnographic perspectives: why does injustice prevail; why do inequalities persist; why are states violent; how do people come to resist and mobilize for change; engage with the state; or turn to violent opposition? In listening to people’s perspectives, understanding their beliefs and desires, the course also introduces the anthropological approach to development at large. 

This course is an in-depth study of art production in the Classical world, providing a history of making from Graeco-Roman techniques to their reception in the Renaissance and use until the present day. Students engage with the materials, tools, and processes involved in the production of sculpture, pottery, painting, glass, textiles, and jewelry among other art forms. Students study the complex sequence of actions involved in their production, following the artist as maker as well as investigating the client behind these commissions.