CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL HISTORY - 2025/6

Module Overview

The 20th Century was full of contradiction: devastating world wars, intra-state conflict, revolution and economic disaster were met with recognition of the right of peoples to determine their own future, of an international human rights agenda, of unprecedented systemic institution-building in order to promote and perpetuate peace and economic growth that extended far beyond the “first world”. This module will review key events and processes of the 20th Century in order to identify and understand the circumstances under which such major change came about. Students will therefore be required to acquire a detailed knowledge and understanding of international history and actors in the twentieth century. Students will develop and apply knowledge of International Relations theorising acquired in other modules, including the historiography of IR theorising, in order to be able to identify and understand the dominant theoretical thinking of a particular time, and will be able to understand the use of history both within the discipline and by political actors.

The module engages the global and cultural structures of power within which the discipline of International Relations is embedded; the evolution of capitalism and the sustainability of contemporary international political economy; and the resourcefulness and resilience required for processes of revolutionary change.

Module provider

Politics & International Relations

Module Leader

KITCHEN Nicholas (Politics IR)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes the following:

History and historiography; history as method; historical sociology of IR; black swan events; decolonization; war and change; globalization; political and economic ideology.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Not Applicable

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

• Detailed knowledge of historical subject matter


• Critical engagement with the concept and uses of history


• The ability to present and develop a clear argument


• The ability to analyze an issue (rather than merely describe it)


• Critically evaluate an approach or competing approaches


• The ability to engage feedback to develop their thinking

Module aims

• To introduce students to major political, economic, social and cultural processes and events (national as well as international) which have shaped contemporary international relations, increasing cultural and global intelligence
• To provide a historical complement to relevant parts of modules POL1012 Introduction to Politics and POL1013, Introduction to International Relations, as well as the foundations for modules in Levels 5 and 6.
• To introduce students to the methodological use of history in social science and International Relations, demonstrating applicable skills for employability.
• To introduce students to basic time-management and workload planning and management skills, enhancing employability
• To search in digital resources for information and various databases enhancing digital capabilities.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Encourage work both independent and group work


• Facilitate critical thinking


• Enhance analytical skills

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: POL1019

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.