EU and Southern Europe: Spain, Portugal, Greece

Module description

Drawing on a historical, institutionalist and policy perspective the module will examine comparatively changes in the political and economic domains in relation to Spain, Greece and Portugal in the process of EU integration in their post-dictatorship period and beyond. Specifically, the module will trace processes of economic restructuring as crisis management strategies adopted in the 1980s to deal with the political and economic crisis of the 1970s. Drawing on these institutional legacies, the consolidation of the Eurozone in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the unravelling of the North Atlantic financial crisis in 2008, the module seeks to understand the unfolding of the financial crisis in Southern European Countries, the adopted political and policy solutions, and the ensuing political crises. More broadly, the module seeks to problematise the responses to the crisis by the corresponding national states in relation to the institutional and policy decisions adopted by the EU with regard to Southern European countries. In this respect, the module will explore the institutionalisation and normalisation of 'austerity politics' as one of the possible alternative interpretations of as well as solutions for the Eurozone crisis in Southern European countries.

Assessment details

2 x 2000 word essays each worth 50%

Educational aims & objectives

1. To critically examine the changes in the Southern European politics and economy in the post-dictatorship context
2. To explore the inter-relations of economic and political systems generally
3. To understand and explain key concepts (e.g. crisis, crisis management, postfordism, austerity, neoliberalism)
4. to use a comparative approach to explore the financial crisis in Southern European Countries
5. To demonstrate skills in summarising, debating and assessing economic and political theories related to changes in the economic and political spheres.
6. To evaluate and analyse current events.

Learning outcomes

1. to read and interpret literature on the inter-dependency of the political and economic domains, drawing on historical, institutional and policy perspectives
2. to demonstrate familiarity with key notions such as crisis, crisis management, sovereign debt, regulation theory, austerity
3. to assess and evaluate the merits and shortcomings of different theoretical approaches to these notions
4. to display a systematic understanding of key political and economic events in the context(s) of post 2008 financial crisis
5. to assemble and debate political and economic processes in Southern Europe in the post-dictatorships period
6. to investigate with minimal supervision the key historical, institutional, political and policy issues surrounding the study of Southern European societies, economies and politics in the post 2008 period

Teaching pattern

Two hours per week

Suggested reading list

• Baines, D., & MacBride, S. (2015). Orchestrating austerity: Impacts and resistance. Halifax, NS: Fernwood.
• Charnock, G., Purcell, T., & Ribera-Fumaz, R. (2014). The Limits of capital in Spain. Basigstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Fouskas, V., & Dimoulas, C. (2013). Greece, Financialization and the EU: The Political Economy of Debt and Destruction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Owen, P. and Tsarouhas, D. (Eds.) (2018). Crisis in the Eurozone Periphery. The Political Economies of Greece, Spain, Ireland and Portugal.  Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Ryner, M. And Cafruny, A. (2017). The European Union and Global Capitalism. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.