Senior Freshman

The Senior Freshman Year continues laying the foundations begun in the Junior Freshman Year, with two languages being studied alongside the various disciplines:

1. Languages

The two languages studied in the Junior Freshman year are continued in the Senior Freshman year. By the end of Michaelmas term, students will be asked to designate one of the two languages as their major language, thereby determining the country to which they will go in their third year (Junior Sophister) year and the principal language in which they will be examined in their finals (Moderatorship).

2. Disciplines

Students take the two compulsory linked modules 'Culture and Politics in Europe 1700-1815' and ‘The Making of Modernity 1750-1820’, and in addition choose one of the five modules on contemporary Europe listed below:

2.i (a) Culture and Politics in Europe, 1700-1815

This module in cultural history describes the creation of a distinctive modern European culture during the Enlightenment and examines the challenges faced by that culture in the nineteenth century. Students will be introduced to the central texts and figures who defined the meaning of modernity and to the social and cultural changes that carried forward the project of a modern society. The core of the course will concern itself with political culture by analysing the political ideologies created from, and in opposition to, the French Revolution.

(b) The making of modernity 1750-1820

This module will introduce students to key concepts of modernity as they constituted themselves during the saddle epoch around 1800. It will cover the main philosophical and cultural trends in the European Enlightenment and Romanticism and will elucidate how cultural and aesthetic discourses interact with politics and society. It will identify elements of the Dialectics of Enlightenment and the interaction of Enlightenment trends with counter movements and cross currents. It will follow on and build on the Michaelmas Term history module ‘Culture and Politics in Europe 1700-1815’

2.ii Continental Europe: grandeur and decline, 1870-1920. (Dept. of History)

Social, cultural, economic and political approaches to history are given equal emphasis in this module. The principal countries studied are France, Germany, Italy and Russia but many themes are treated in a comparative and transnational manner. The module examines Europe at the apex of its self-confidence and power, including the acquisition of colonial empires. It explores industrialization, social and cultural changes and mass politics down to 1914, and gives particular attention to the emergence of the nation-state as the basis of politics and political identities. It explains the nature and significance of the First World War as an expression of major tendencies in pre-war Europe, whose effect was to weaken and diminish Europe even as it unleashed new forces for change.

2.iii Continental Europe: Cataclysm and rebirth, 1914 to the present (Department of History)

Social, cultural, economic and political approaches to history are given equal emphasis in this module, which is a sequel and companion to Continental Europe: grandeur and decline, 1870-1920. The principal countries studied are France, Germany, Italy and Russia, with additional lectures on Spain, Poland and Yugoslavia. However, many themes are treated in a comparative and transnational manner. The module takes the First World War as its starting point. It looks at the inter-war crisis of liberal democracy and the three-way conflict between democracy, fascism and communism, which also shaped international relations. The nature and consequences of the Second World War (including the Holocaust) are examined as the nadir of Europe in the 20th century. The module examines post-war Europe, the Cold War and the emergence of European integration, and concludes by considering the fall of communism in 1989 and its consequences.

2.iv European Societies: Social structure and social inequality (Dept. of Sociology)

What do we mean by ‘Europe’? More than just a geographical definition, but hardly a single European society, something to do with the European Union and perhaps a model of society different to that of the USA? This module explores these questions through an examination of the social structure of ‘old Europe’ – the EU of the 15, and in particular France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK. At times we glance across the Atlantic for comparisons with aspects of US social structure.

This module is about the challenges to the European borders and identities. Our aim is to understand how the European social and territorial borders are historically and politically constructed in order to achieve social cohesion within Europe. We expect students to develop a critical understanding of European societies from different perspectives.

We will explore five major themes:

1. Immigration and Integration: Challenges of immigration to European countries and the question of social cohesion in Europe
2. Europe and Its Others: European Enlargement and the construction of Europe’s “Others,” such as Turkey
3. Citizenship and Diversity: Multiculturalism, national citizenship and the construction of European identity and EU citizenship
4. Gender-based discrimination: Women migrants in Europe
5. Ethnic Conflict: The ethnic and racial conflicts in certain European countries, and their significance in constructing the European identity

2. v Comparative Politics (Dept of Political Science)

The module is an introduction to the study of comparative politics. We will be studying both developing and developed countries, democratic and authoritarian regimes as well as countries that are in the midst of political and economic transitions. Among other things, we will learn about (i) why countries like Israel have a multitude of parties, while the United States has only two, (ii) what determines why some countries are capable of making the transition to democracy (e.g., Chile), while in other countries authoritarian regimes prevail and autocrats manage to hold onto power for a long time (e.g., Zimbabwe), and (iii) why some countries have seen tremendous economic growth (e.g., Ireland), while others have struggled to spur economic development (e.g., most African countries). We will begin the course by discussing the micro foundations of political decision making. Specifically, we will study the role of preferences and beliefs, which are essential for understanding political cleavages, conflict and culture. Next, we will move to the study of collective decision making and group politics, covering a variety of topics ranging from political parties and interest groups to social movements (e.g., the American civil rights movement in the 1960s and the East European revolution in 1989). We will then shift to the study of political institutions as a key source for differences in individual as well as collective decision-making. The effects of political institutions will be studied at the micro level by looking at political decision-making (e.g., voting behavior in plurality systems like the United States versus proportional systems like Italy) and at the macro level by looking at political and economic development.

2.vi International Relations (Dept of Political Science)

This module is an introduction to the positive, descriptive study of international relations. Why do states make war? What are the conditions for the growth of cross-border trade and finance? What is the impact of international organizations on relations between states? This module considers these questions by looking at differing theoretical approaches to international relations and a selection of topics in historical and contemporary politics, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, the European Union, and international environmental and human rights regimes.

2.vii Intermediate Economics (Dept of Economics)

The module has two component modules, Microeconomics (Module 1) and Macroeconomics (Module 2).

Module 1: Microeconomics:

This module is designed to provide a general introduction to, and survey of, microeconomic theory. The material for this course is built around the study of economic agents (e.g. consumers or producers) maximising objectives (e.g. utility of profits) in an environment of economic constraints (e.g. income or costs). The theory will be supported by applications where appropriate (e.g. labour-leisure choice or consumption-savings choice). The module covers five general topics: consumer theory (isoquant curves and isocost lines); market structure (perfect competition; monopoly; monopolistic competition and oligopoly); game theory; factor markets (in perfectly competitive and imperfectly competitive settings) and general equilibrium. Welfare economics is introduced via a consideration of general equilibrium; efficiency and equity issues are also addressed.

Module 2 :Macroeconomics:

This module focuses on macroeconomics: the study of the behaviour of the economy as a whole. The approach we take is based on microeconomic foundations: we will move from individual maximization problems, as studied in the microeconomics module of the course, to the macroeconomic problems faced in the aggregate economy. Topics to be covered include: the economics of Robinson Crusoe; budget constraints and money demand; general market clearing; money, inflation and interest rates; economic growth; business cycles and the interplay between nominal and real variables.