This module introduces students to the study of terrorism and political violence, and engages with the primary debates in the field. The first half of the module addresses definitional, epistemological and methodological issues raised by the study of political violence. The module will also outline the history of modern political violence and the evolution of the way it has been defined and studied. In this context, the module will explore the nature and evolution of various forms of contemporary political violence, including: wars; ‘new wars'; insurgency and counterinsurgency; irregular warfare; guerrilla warfare; state and non-state terrorism; and counter-terrorism. Throughout, focus will be given to a range of mainstream and critical approaches to the field, ensuring that students become aware of the rich variety of perspectives which can be adopted in relation to the subject. In the second half of the module, time will be given to examining a range of human rights issues and debates which arise in relation to political violence and terrorism.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
PART ONE: An introduction to terrorism and political violence
PART TWO: Political violence and human rights
The content of this module will be delivered through a mixture of lectures and seminars. Weekly one-hour lectures will be used to provide an overview of primary debates in the field. They will give students an overview of key historical moments in the evolution of political violence, as well as an introduction to some of the ways in which the use of political violence has impacted upon, and is impacted by, the human rights agenda. Lectures will be complemented by weekly one-hour seminars, designed to provide an opportunity for detailed critical analysis of key readings and competing perspectives in the study of terrorism and political violence.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Lectures | 22 |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Seminars | 22 |
| Guided independent study | Independent study | 256 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Summative assessment takes the following forms: at the end of the first semester an essay of 3,000 words (0%). At the end of the second semester assessment of an essay of 3,000 words (60%). This enables feedback from the first assessment to feed into the second. Weekly feedback and feed forward enables students to develop understanding and improve their learning experience through tutor guidance and peer review.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Understand and engage with the parameters of the primary scholarly debates regarding terrorism and political violence | Final essay |
| Recognise the definitional and epistemological difficulties involved with the use of the concept 'terrorism' | Final essay |
| Engage with competing perspectives on why state and nonstate actors choose to employ political violence, and the modes of violence employed | Final essay |
| Critically analyse a range of ethical, moral and legal aspects of political violence, particularly in relation to the impact on human rights | Group presentation |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay 3000 words | 50 |
| Presentation | Group presentation 20/30mins | 50 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
Jackson, R., et al. (2011) Terrorism: a critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Beckett, I. F. W. (2001) Modern Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies: guerrillas and their opponents since 1750. London: Routledge.
Bigo, D. and Tsoukala, A. (eds.) (2008) Terror, Insecurity and Liberty: illiberal practices in liberal regimes after 9/11. London: Routledge.
Bourke, J. (1999) An Intimate History of Killing. Granta.
Evangelista, M. (2008) Law, Ethics, and the War on Terror. Cambridge: Polity.
Freedman, L. (ed.) (1994) War. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Goodin, R. E. (2009) What's Wrong with Terrorism? Cambridge: Polity.
Hoffmann, B. (1998) Inside Terrorism. London: Victor Gollancz.
Ignatieff, M. (2000) Virtual War. London: Chatto and Windus.
Jackson, R. (2005) Writing the War on Terrorism: language, politics and counter-terrorism. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Jones, A. J. (2006) Resisting Rebellion: the history and politics of counterinsurgency. Lexington: University
Jürgensmeyer, M. (2001): Terror in the Mind of God, London: University of California Press.
Kaldor, M. (2007) New and Old Wars. Cambridge: Polity.
Kalyvas, S. N. (2006) The Logic of Violence in Civil War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Marston, D. and Malkasian, C. (eds.) (2008) Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare. Oxford: Osprey.
Primoratz, I. (ed.) (2004) Terrorism: the philosophical issues. London: Palgrave.
Schmid, A. P. (2004) 'Frameworks for Conceptualising Terrorism', Terrorism and Political Violence, 16(2), 197-221.
Scruton, R. (2000) The West and the Rest: globalization and the terrorism threat. London: Continuum.
Silke, A. (2004) Research on Terrorism: trends, achievments and failures. London: Routledge.
Sinclair, A. (2003) An Anatomy of Terror: a history of terrorism, London: Macmillan.
Stern, J. (2004). Terror in the Name of God: why religious militants kill. Harper Collins.
Thackrah, J. R. (2004) Dictionary of Terrorism, 2nd edn. London: Routledge.
Tilly, C. (2004) 'Terror, Terrorism, Terrorists', Sociological Theory, 22(1), 5-13.
Townshend, Charles (2002): Terrorism: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Weinberg, L., and Davis, P. (1989) Introduction to Political Terrorism. New York: McGraw.
Weinberg, L., and Pedahzur, A. (2004) Religious Fundamentalism and Political Extremism. London: Frank Cass.
Weiss, T. G., Crahan, M., and John, G. (eds.) (2004) The Wars on Terrorism and Iraq: human rights, unilateralism and US foreign policy. London: Routledge.