PLT3300

Travels in an 'Old Country': Localism, Nationalism and Globalism

(ART)

Tom Nairn

12 points + 2 hours per week + Second semester + Clayton + Prohibition: PLT4300 and PLM 4300 + Prerequisites: A second-year sequence in Politics, Anthropology or Sociology

Synopsis: This unit treats the United Kingdom as an after-image of its imperial past. It is a political travelogue that searches for contemporary clues in unlikely places such as the Borderlands, Ulster, the Isle of Man and the Cornish peninsular. A suspicious impulse prompts this journey: empire states such as the United Kingdom may deconstruct around the edges, while the centre goes on with business, apparently as usual. The aim of this voyage is to look at the effect of global migrations and local displacements. This travelogue will discuss the relationship between localism, nationalism and globalism.

Assessment: Essay (2,000 words): 20% + essay (4,000 words): 40% + exam (3 hours): 40%