Left Behind Places - SPY00083H
- Department: Social Policy and Social Work
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: H
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Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
- See module specification for other years: 2025-26
Module summary
This module introduces students to key debates surrounding âleft behindâ places, focussing primarily upon the United Kingdom (UK). It explores various issues related to âleft behindâ areas including the geographical spread of these locales, their social, cultural, and economic problems as well as their political discontentment and desire for structural change.
Module will run
Occurrence | Teaching period |
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A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
In recent years, âleft behindâ places have become prominent in academic, political and policy circles. The term itself is used to describe areas often defined by economic decline, a lack of well-paid employment opportunities, poor public services, the loss of industrial jobs, and depopulation, especially of its younger residents who migrate elsewhere to find better paid work. There are different types of these places including at the neighbourhood, village, town, city, and regional level, and they have expressed their political discontent primarily through voicing their support for nationalist political causes or not voting at all. Whilst residentsâ feelings of âleft-behindnessâ differs across place, there are similarities in their experiences in âleft behindâ locales in both the UK and internationally.
This module introduces students to key debates surrounding âleft behindâ places, focussing primarily upon the United Kingdom (UK). It explores various issues related to âleft behindâ areas including the geographical spread of these locales, their social, cultural, and economic problems as well as their political discontentment and desire for structural change. Utilising research-led teaching, the module familiarises students with what it means to feel âleft behindâ, discusses international examples of âleft behindâ areas and a policy programme for addressing their plight. It also asks what these places have been âleft behindâ from in relation to the economic prosperity of affluent locales.
Module learning outcomes
The moduleâs learning outcomes are:
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To demonstrate awareness of some of the reasons why the UKâs âleft behindâ places exist in their current form.
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To understand the various social, cultural, economic, and political problems that exist in âleft behindâ places in both the UK and elsewhere.
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To identify the geographical diffusion of these localities and the similarities and differences across various types of âleft behindâ places.
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To demonstrate awareness of policies that could help to address the plight of âleft behindâ areas, as well as the policy limitations.
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Apply interdisciplinary, social scientific knowledge to the policy problem of âleft behindâ places.
Module content
The module content includes:
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Structural problems in âleft behindâ places, including political discontentment.
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The geographical dispersion of âleft behindâ places, involving the âNorth vs Southâ divide.
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Young people and âleft behindâ areas.
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The different types of âleft behindâ localities including villages, towns, cities, and their different settings e.g., urban, and rural.
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What âleft behindâ areas have been left behind from, in relation to more prosperous places.
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Policy agendas to address the problems of âleft behindâ localities.
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International exemplars of âleft behindâ areas including within the United States of Americaâs âRust Belt regionâ.
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The problems associated with the concept of âleft behindâ places.
Indicative assessment
Task | % of module mark |
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Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
Task | % of module mark |
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Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Module feedback
University policy is for students to receive feedback on their assessment 20 working days after the submission date. They will also receive formative feedback throughout the module and have the option to discuss their feedback with the module leader.
Indicative reading
Etherington, D Jones, M & Telford, L (2023) COVID crisis, austerity and the âleft behindâ city: Exploring poverty and destitution in Stoke-on-Trent. Local Economy. 37(8): 692-707.
Hendrickson, C Muro, M & Galston, W (2018) Countering the geography of discontent: Strategies for left-behind places. Washington: Brookings Institution.
Martin, R Gardiner, B Pike, A Sunley, P & Tyler, P (2021) Levelling Up Left Behind Places: The Scale and Nature of the Economic and Policy Challenge. Abingdon: Routledge.
Morrison, J (2022) The Left Behind: Reimagining Britainâs Socially Excluded. London: Pluto Press.
Pike, A Beal, V Cauchi-Duval, N Franklin, R Kinossian, N Lang, T Leibert, T MacKinnon, D Rousseau, M Royer, J Servilo, L Tomaney, J & Velthuis, S (2023) âLeft behind places: a geographical etymology. Regional Studies. Online First: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2167972
Sandbu, M (2020) The Economics of Belonging: A Radical Plan to Win Back the Left Behind and Achieve Prosperity for All. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Telford, L & Wistow, J (2022) Levelling Up the UK Economy: The Need for Transformative Change. London: Palgrave Pivot.
Telford, L (2023) âLevelling Up? Thatâs never going to happenâ: Perceptions on Levelling Up in a âRed Wallâ Locality. Contemporary Social Science Special Issue: Levelling Up or Down? Addressing Regional Inequalities in the UK. 18(3-4): 546-561.
Tups, G Sakala, E & Dannenberg, P (2023) Hope and path development in âleft-behindâ places â a Southern perspective. Regional Studies. Online First: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2235396
Wenham, A (2020) âWish you were hereâ? Geographies of exclusion: young people, coastal towns and marginality. Journal of Youth Studies. 23(1): 44-60.
Wenham, A & Jobling, H (2023) Place-based understandings of âriskâ and âdangerâ through a gendered lens â experiences of sexual violence in a deprived coastal town in the UK. Journal of Youth Studies. Online First: https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2023.2283513