Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university

Learning outcomes

A student who successfully completes the course will be able to:

• provide an overview and summarise the current state of Swedish and international research on political extremism from a historical perspective
• critically explain how and why different movements and organisations have been defined as politically extreme in different historical contexts
• describe and explain the ideological basis and strategies of the movements in their historical contexts, in particular regarding contemporary power relations, different forms of government and views on the use of violence
• describe and explain the strategies used by governments, governmental agencies and society at large to define and counteract and contain these movements
• systematically present, evaluate and use different types of primary sources typical for the field

Content

Based on literature studies and practical exercises using primary sources, the course aims to give students knowledge of the growth of politically extreme movements and how they have been regarded from the 1880s onwards. The course addresses the reasons for the emergence and development of movements, focusing on their ideological basis and strategies. It discusses how, why and by whom certain movements have been defined and labelled as politically extreme at different times. It especially emphasises on what grounds and in which contexts certain movements have been regarded as politically extreme and how this has changed over time. The conceptualisation of extremism and terrorism is thus a key element in the course. The course also aims to provide students with an understanding of the societal responses to these movements and their activities. The course focuses mainly on Sweden and Swedish developments, but relates this to international developments, mainly in Europe and the United States.

Instruction

The teaching consists of seminars.

Assessment

Assessments will be based upon written and oral assignments. Students who have missed a small number of mandatory assignments may complete them by the end of the term at the latest. If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.