Guide in PDF format
Logo

Contemporary World Politics

Code: 101099
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Political Science and Public Management FB 1
International Relations OB 1

Contact lecturer

Name :
Joaquim Arrufat Ibañez
Email :
joaquim.arrufat@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Ricard Vilaregut Saez

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There is not

Objectives

This subject has a basic training character, aspiring to serve as a foundation for all the contents of the degree in Political Science and Public Management and the degree in International Relations.
 
The main objective of the subject is to offer explanations of the main phenomena, movements and processes that, on a global scale, have shaped the contemporary world. The essential problems of today's world will be located, and they will show how they have been formed and have evolved. The historical roots of the current world will be analyzed in its different dimensions: politics and democracy, economy and society, inequalities and poverty, collective political action and social movements ...
 
All these issues will be treated from different points of view and will take into account the contributions from academic disciplines that are dedicated to the study of these phenomena, movements and processes, such as political science, international relations, history, sociology and economy.
 
With regard to competences, the expected learning outcomes are three: to interpret the historical political and social frameworks as explanatory backgrounds of the current ones, to better understand the world of the present time; analyze information critically; and demonstrate a good level of oral and written expression.

Learning outcomes

  1. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  2. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  3. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  4. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  5. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  6. Working autonomously.
  7. Describing and properly using main concepts of the field of study of relationships between politics and society: social conflict regulation, political power and legitimacy, political system.
  8. Presenting the key elements that explain the emergence of the State and its evolution (from absolute state to welfare state).
  9. Explaining the forms of government arising from the different relationships between the powers of the State.
  10. Describing the political actors and critically assessing the political behaviour in several sociopolitical and historical contexts.
  11. Interpreting political and social historical frameworks, as precedents of the actual ones, in order to better comprehending today's reality.
  12. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  13. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  14. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  15. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  16. Describe the main elements of the political process: socialisation, attitudes and political ideologies.
  17. Describe political actors and critically evaluate political behaviour in different socio-political and historical contexts.

Contents


1) Introduction. From Westfalia to World War Two.


2) The Cold War: concept and whole interpretation


3) The end of the World War Two, towards the Cold War (1944-47)


4) The first phase of the Cold War(1947-53)


5) From Stalin's death to oil's crisis (1953-73)


6) The oil's crisis (1973) and the renewal of the Cold War (1979-85)?


7) Gorbachev, the perestroika and the end of the USSR (1985-1989/91).


8) Decolonization and Cold War in Asia


9) Descolonization and Cold War in Africa


10) The Third World. The Non-aligned movement


11) Vietnam's wars


12) Cold War years in Latin America


13) The \"new culture\". Feminism. Civil Rights. Gay Liberation.


14) Arab-israeli conflict


15) Transitions in Europe. The baltic independences. The \"velvet divorce\" inCzecoslovakia. The implosion of Yugoslavia.


16) The european integration process. From the Common Market to EU.


17) The arab world. Islamism.


18) The current conflicts

 

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Study and reading of materials 91 3.64 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Master classes and Parcipatory Seminars 50 2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11
The dedication to this subject is specified in various types of activities. Its value, 6 ECTS credits, implies a total dedication of 150 hours, which will be distributed as follows:

a.- Directed activities, with the presence of the teacher. They will include lectures and oral presentations by students about different historical documents.

These activities represent approximately 33% of the student's work time.

b.- Supervised activities, carried out outside the classroom, and following the teacher's instructions. The participation in three seminars about compulsory readings will be prepared.
This activity represents approximately 17% of the student's work time.

c.- Autonomous activities, carried out by each student on their own for the preparation of the syllabus, through the readings recommended by the lecturer.
These activities represent approximately 50% of the student's work time.

The process of learning and acquisition of skills will be supervised by the teacher through individual tutorials.

The Moodle classroom will be the space that will convey the information related to the organization of the subject.
Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
final examination 40% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Seminars 60% (20% each one) 6 0.24 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Assessment


Assessment for this course consists of the following components:
  • Three participatory seminars, accounting for 60% of the final grade.
  • Each seminar is worth 20% of the final grade.
  • For each seminar, students are required to complete the assigned reading in advance, actively participate in the discussion, and answer a series of questions related both to the required reading and to the course content covered up to that point.
  • A final examination covering the course content, to be administered according to the format specified by the lecturer during the semester. The examination accounts for 40% of the final grade.
  • To pass the course, students must obtain a mark of at least 5.0/10 on the final examination.
  • The course is passed by successfully completing the continuous assessment requirements.
  • Students who have participated in at least one assessed activity will not be eligible for a "Not Assessed" (No Presentat/da) grade.


In accordance with the UAB Academic Regulations, students may opt for a single assessment. Students wishing to choose this assessment method must notify the teaching staff at the beginning of the semester. The teaching team will determine the specific assessment procedure, which will in all cases include the three compulsory readings.


The single assessment consists of:

  • A comprehensive examination covering the entire course syllabus, worth 70% of the final grade.
  • On the day of the examination, students must submit three written assignments (one for each compulsory reading), consisting of answers to questions provided by the lecturer. Each assignment is worth 10% of the final grade.
  • To pass the course, students must obtain a mark of at least 5.0/10 on the examination.


Resit Assessment


The following resit procedures apply:

  1. Students following continuous assessment may resit the final examination if they have failed it. The resit examination will account for 40% of the final grade. Regarding the compulsory readings, only failed reading assessments may be resat. In such cases, students will answer questions on the relevant readings on the day of the resit examination. Each reading assessment is worth 20% of the final grade.
  2. Students following the single assessment may resit the final examination if they have failed it. The resit examination will account for 70% of the final grade. To pass the course, students must obtain a mark of at least 5.0/10 on the examination.

Bibliography

Most relevant bibliography:

 

FANON, Frantz (2020), Els condemnats de la terra, Manresa, Ed. Tigre de paper.

FONTANA, Josep (2011), Por el bien del Imperio, Barcelona. Ed. Pasado y Presente.

KLEIN, Naomi (2007), La doctrina del shock, Barcelona, Ed. Paidós.

 

 

 

Complentory bibliography:

 

BERNSTEIN, Serge (2013), Los regímenes políticos del siglo XX, Barcelona, Ariel.

BEVINS, Vincent (2021), El método Yakarta. La cruzada anticomunista y los asesinatos masivos que moldearon nuestro mundo, Madrid, Ed. Capitán Swing. 

CUMPLIDO MORA, Jordi (2024), El sueño de Yugoslavia. Resistencia, revolución y Estado (1918-1991), Manresa, Ed. Bellaterra.

ELEY, Geoff (2003), Un mundo que ganar. Historia de la izquierda en Europa, 1850-2000, Barcelona, Crítica.

GADDIS, John Lewis (2011), Nueva historia de la Guerra Fría, Ciudad de México, Ed. Fondo de Cultura Económica.

GARCÉS, Joan E. (2012), Soberanos e intervenidos, Madrid, Ed. Siglo XXI España. 

HOBSBAWM, Eric (1995), Historia del siglo XX, Barcelona, Crítica

JUDT, Tony (2008), Postguerra. Una historia de Europa desde 1945, Madrid, Taurus.

KEERAN, Roger i KENNY, Thomas (2015), Socialismo traicionado. Tras el colapso de la Unión Soviética 1917-1991, La Habana, Ed. Ciencias Sociales.

KHALIDI, Rashid (2022), Palestina. Cien años de colonialismo y resistencia, Madrid, Ed. Capitán Swing. 

MARTÍNEZ, Fernando, URQUIJO, Mikel (2006), Materiales para la historia del mundo actual I y II, Madrid, Istmo.

MAURIZI, Stefania (2024). El poder secreto. Por qué quieren destruir a Julian Assange y WikiLeaks, Madrid, Ed. Akal.

NASH, Mary (2012), Mujeres en el mundo. Historia, retos y movimientos, Madrid, Alianza.

PRASHAD, Vijay (2012), Las naciones oscuras. Una historia del Tercer Mundo, Barcelona, Península.

ROGAN, Eugene (2012), Los árabes. Del Imperio otomano a la actualidad, Barcelona, Crítica.

SEN, Amartya (2007), India contemporánea. Entre la modernidad y la tradición, Barcelona, Gedisa. 

SHLAIM, Avi (2011), El muro de hierro.Israel y el mundo árabe, Granada, Almed.

SPENCE, Jonathan D. (2011), En busca de la China moderna, Barcelona, Tusquets.

STIGLIZ, Joseph E. (2010), Caída libre, Madrid, Taurus.

WESTAD, Odd Arne (2018), La Guerra Fría. Unahistoria mundial, Barcelona, Galaxia Gutemberg.

 

 

Software

No computer programs are used in this subject

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Spanish second semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Spanish second semester afternoon