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Security Studies

Module description

This module will introduce you to the study of war and the use of force in world politics, as well as contemporary threats and challenges to state and people security. It explores how International Relations (IR) schools of thought inform the study of security, violent conflicts (including war, crimes against humanity such as genocide and war crimes, terrorism, ethnic conflict, and intervention), as well as the pursuit of peace and justice in the aftermath of mass violence. The module examines scholarly debates in the setting of contemporary cases of political violence and security threats, and assesses efforts to achieve security, peace and a modicum of justice in the aftermath of various conflicts. This module pays particular attention to permutations of threats and the formulations of related security rationales and what they, in turn, suggest for the nature of in/securities involved. Overall, the module offers students the opportunity to reflect meaningfully on the correlations between security, peace and justice. In doing so, it provides a sound basis for more detailed studies at Level 3 and in other undergraduate and postgraduate research.

Module aims - intentions of the module

On the completion of this module you will be familiar with (conceptualisation of) key security threats which impact contemporary societies at all levels. Moreover, you will be cognizant about contributions and limitations of IR theories in interpreting contemporary security threats, as well as have the ability to critically analyze strengths and drawbacks of various theoretical interpretations. The module will provide you with a solid understanding of use of force as a tool of inter/national politics both generally and in the setting of carefully selected case studies. You will be able to apply key theory claims to your interpretations of several aspects of political violence and security threats, and draw generalizations that may support or contest hegemonic assumptions in the field.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate IR grounded knowledge of political violence as an instrument of policy in the context of war and contemporary cases of armed conflicts;
• 2. be familiar with key concepts used to interpret contemporary security threats and to analyze violent conflicts;
• 3. establish correlations between theory and praxis of recent and ongoing violent conflicts which have presented serious security challenges at all levels of analysis.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. critically analyse primary and secondary source material;
• 5. understand and use key concepts and IR theory relevant to the understanding and explanation of security challenges and threats;
• 6. construct well-structured and rigorous scholarly arguments.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. communicate effectively in speech and writing;
• 8. work independently and in collaboration with peers to achieve common goals;
• 9. demonstrate competence to use the Internet and other IT resources.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following themes:

• Key approaches to studying security and use of force in world politics from the point of view of IR theories.
• Explanations of strategies of actors in armed conflicts, and experiences of participants and other affected parties.
• We will analyze key security threats in the contemporary world and assess efforts to deal with such threats.
• We will examine permutations of security threats and their implications for effective policy.
• We will unpack challenges of attaining peace and justice in the aftermath of violent conflicts.
• We will contemplate implications for the pursuits of security in the contemporary era.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Core textbooks for this module are:

• Contemporary Security Studies. Edited by Alan Collins. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019. Fifth edition.
• Security Studies: An Introduction, Edited by Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald, London: Routledge, 2018, Third edition.
• The Oxford Handbook of International Security. Edited by Alexandra Gheciu and William C. Wohlforth. Oxford University Press, 2018.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Other materials will be identified by the module convener in lectures, tutorials and via ELE.

Key words search

War, Security, Crimes against Humanity, Terrorism, Nationalism, Politics of Identity, Peace, Justice