Terrorism and Insurgencies
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| POLI4003 | Politics and International Relations | 4 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- POLI4003
- School
- Politics and International Relations
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module introduces students to two of the most important aspects of contemporary international security: terrorism and insurgency. Both threats have become more acute in recent years and much intellectual, military and economic capital has been spent in efforts to understand and respond to them. Students, in taking this module, will explore how scholars and analysts have studied terrorism and insurgency, how such threats come about, why some individuals are drawn towards exercising these forms of irregular force, and how governments respond to terrorism and insurgency. The primary goal of the module is to lead students to their own understanding of theories and empirical evidence regarding the characteristics, causes, and countering of terrorism and insurgency.
Target Students
Available to PGT and Year 4 MSci International Relations and Global Issues students in the School of Politics and International Relations. Also available to students on the MRes Politics and International Relations plan, and incoming exchange students based in the School of Politics and International Relations.
Classes
This module is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars.
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: 2,000-word essay.
- 50% Coursework 2: 2,000-word policy brief
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
• Introduce students to the main dynamics of terrorism and insurgency,• Analyse competing views on terrorism and insurgency, including their causes, characteristics, and strategies to counter them, and• Empower students to critically consider scholarly and popular accounts of terrorism and insurgency.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of terrorism and insurgency and how they fit into the broader idea of asymmetric warfare.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the problems the world has faced in relation to security and how such problems may be eventually tackled successfully (whatever we come to understand by ‘success’)
Intellectual and Transferable Skills
• Assess a variety of approaches and methods for the study of terrorism and insurgency.
• Engage with and unpick two topics that, often misunderstood, have dominated political and popular understandings of security since 11th September 2001
• Gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and primary sources to produce convincing written arguments, including for a policy audience.
• Identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to complex security problems.
• Construct reasoned argument, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement.
• Use communication and information technology, including audiovisual technology, for the retrieval and presentation of information and, where appropriate, statistical or numerical information on complex security issues.
Digital Capabilities
• Enhanced ability to utilise digital mediums and digital evidence to research and respond to pressing security question.