From the French Revolution to the Arab Spring, the pace of contemporary history has been set by social upheavals. This course examines the theory of revolutions and five modern case studies, covering the whole trajectory of revolutionary processes - from crisis origins to regime collapse.It will introduce students to theories of revolution, from Aristotle to Marx, from Rousseau to Khomeini. It will examine revolutions which have defined the politics, culture and society of Europe and the Middle East over the past two centuries: the French revolution, the Russian revolution, the Iranian revolution, the fall of Communism and the Arab Spring.Students will apply theories to practical case studies and employ their new theoretical and historical knowledge to analyse present upheavals such as the Syrian civil war.The course will cover the following topics:I - What is a revolution? Introduction and overview to the courseII - Liberal Theory and revolutionsII - The French Revolution of 1789III - Marxist Theory and revolutionsIV - The Russian Revolution of 1917V - Islamist approaches to revolutionVI - The 1979 Iranian revolutionVII - Modernisation Theory and revolutionsVIII - The 1989 fall of CommunismIX - The End of History?X - The 2011 Arab SpringXI - 2013: Social Protest or Revolution?XII - What next? Employing your knowledge to analyse present upheavals.In addition, students will complete a piece of independent research on a topic of their choice and present it to the class.

Period
28-07-2014 - 15-08-2014 (3 weeks)

Target group
The course is for undergraduate or pre-undergraduate students of History, Politics or related subjects. No previous knowledge is necessary, but interest in the topic and willingness to engage with others is essential.

Course aim
This module aims to: Provide knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of revolution across time and space: students will learn to recognize social upheavals and employ theories to explain them; Stretch students research skills and presentation skills: students will employ a range of source materials, critically evaluate evidence, and structure and deliver individual and group presentations; Encourage comparisons of different case studies and application of knowledge to inform understanding of present social upheavals: in a supporting class environment, students will be enabled to engage with controversial contemporary case studies such as Syria and Egypt



Credits
0.0 ECTS credits

Course fee
GBP 1430[Convert to USD]tuition fee only

Course leader
Ms Giuditta Fontana and Ms Gillian KennedyMs Fontana holds degrees in History and International Relations (LSE) and an MA from the Middle East and Mediterranean Studies department at King's. She worked in the European Commission and in several NG

King's College London
Address: Strand, London
Postal code: WC2R 2LS
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/summerschool
E-mail: summerschool@kcl.ac.uk
Phone: +44 20 7848 1533