southampton

Module overview

The resurgence of the far right is one of the most striking and challenging features of the 21st century political landscape. Attitudes and practices that were marginal and unrespectable just decades ago have gained considerable traction, whether measured through election results or the shifts in public discourse around notions of race and nation. On this module you will learn to identify the distinctive features of far right thinking and practice by studying its manifestations in Europe and the wider world. Although the most notorious expression of the far right - fascism - is inescapably European in origin, these and other forms of authoritarian populism are much more widespread. You are asked to think about where far right ideas come from while also bearing in mind their variety, and the fluidity and contingency of their development since the late nineteenth century.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Communication of your ideas in written form.
Close analysis of a wide range of source material.
Reflection on your own learning and understanding across the module.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Develop a research topic on the far right using primary sources.
Explain the national and trans-national contexts of far right politics.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

The political, social, economic and cultural environments in which the far right seems to flourish.
The porosity of the boundaries between traditional forms of conservatism and the radical right.
The problem of defining the radical right.
The major facets of far right ideology: nationalism, populism, ethnic exclusivity.

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include:

Lectures introducing the key topics

Small-group seminars to discuss primary sources and secondary readings

Individual essay tutorials

Learning methods include:

Close analysis of a range of primary sources

Extensive reading of secondary and theoretical literature

Development of a learning journal to track progress on the module across the semester

Research for and production of an analytical essay

Study time
Type	Hours
Tutorial	1
Seminar	12
Guided independent study	125
Lecture	12
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Journal Articles

C. Mason (2018). 'Right-wing literature in the United States since the 1960s'. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature, (January).

Textbooks

P. Hainsworth, ed. (2000). The Politics of the Extreme Right: from the margins to the mainstream.

M. Caiani (2012). Mobilizing on the extreme right: Germany, Italy and the United States.

M. Goodwin and R. Ford (2013). Revolt from the Right: Explaining Supoort for the Radical Right in Britain.

R.J.B. Bosworth, ed., (2009). The Oxford Handbook of Fascism.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Written assignment	40%
Essay	60%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Assessment tasks	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Written assignment	40%
Essay	60%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External

A Short History of the Far Right