Outline

Overview

Contemporary Europe is marked by political extremism, notably the increased legitimation of far- to extreme-right party families at national and European levels, and Islamist terrorism. However, many, even most, of these movements have emerged from longstanding activist or intellectual traditions. Moreover, political extremism has not always been confined to the right: radical left movements have also marked contemporary European history. In this unit we study these various political extremisms, and responses by national governments and the European Union.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	European Studies
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in European Studies
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Bronwyn Winter, bronwyn.winter@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Seminar presentation Seminar presentation on the week's theme.	25%	Multiple weeks	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Critical film evaluation Analysis of a documentary or fictional film on the unit's themes	25%	Week 07 Due date: 09 Apr 2020 at 23:59	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay Essay on a topic chosen from the list provided	50%	Week 14 (STUVAC) Due date: 05 Jun 2020 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Please refer to the Canvas site for detailed guidelines on all assessment tasks.

Assessment criteria

FAIL: Work demonstrates insufficient engagement with the topic and little to no evidence of research; responses do not reflect the subject, are unclear or confused, and do not reveal an adequate understanding of the topic or sources.

PASS: Work demonstrates engagement with the topic and uses primary and secondary sources to provide evidence and illustrate arguments; contextualises the movement(s) discussed; presents clear and coherent arguments that show some reflection on the topic; is coherently structured and uses an appropriate writing style although there may be typos or errors.

CREDIT: Work demonstrates engagement with the topic and explores a good range of primary and secondary sources to provide evidence and illustrate arguments; thoroughly contextualises the movement(s) discussed; presents clear and coherent arguments that show some depth of reflection on the topic and analytical ability; is coherently structured and uses an appropriate writing style with few typos or errors.

DISTINCTION: Work demonstrates thoughtful engagement with the topic and explores a strong range of primary and secondary sources to provide evidence and illustrate arguments skilfully and creatively; thoroughly contextualises the movement(s) discussed; presents clear and coherent arguments that show originality and depth of reflection on the topic and strong analytical ability; is coherently structured and uses an elegant writing style with few typos or errors.

HIGH DISTINCTION: Work demonstrates considered engagement with the topic and explores a strong range of primary and secondary sources to provide evidence and illustrate arguments skilfully and creatively; thoroughly contextualises the movement(s) discussed; presents clear and coherent arguments that show insight, originality and depth of reflection on the topic and a high level of critical analysis; is well structured and uses a writing style that is close to flawless.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties are applied in accordance with University policy: 5% of the maximum awardable mark deducted for every calendar day after the due date, except where a simple extension or special consideration has been granted.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction and overview	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Defining populism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Gendered analysis of political extremisms	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	History of extremisms (I): Socialism, communism and anarchism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	History of extremisms (2): Fascism and national socialism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Far-left movements and parties today and their historical roots	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Far-right movements and parties today and their historical roots	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Contemporary populist movements: neither left nor right? E.g. Cinque Stelle, Gilets Jaunes	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	The paradox of the European ‘nationalist international’	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	The new anarchisms	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Brexit	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Brexit, Ireland and Scotland	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Separatisms in Spain	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance is required at all classes and you should prepare the weekly readings as set out on the Canvas site.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please refer to Canvas site for all information on readings.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary history of political extremisms in Europe
LO2. Critique the different understandings and uses of the term 'populism' in contemporary European politics
LO3. Evaluate the various taxonomies of political extremisms and party families in Europe
LO4. Produce a gendered analysis of political extremisms
LO5. Critically engage with cinematic narratives of European extremisms

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit was successful when last offered in 2018, with positive student feedback and good student outcomes. We have updated and slightly revised the structure of the unit to reflect contemporary political developments in Europe.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

EUST3111: Political Extremism in Europe

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect