Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Seminars / Tutorials | 10 x 2 Hour seminars |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay I - 3,000 words | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | Essay II - 5,000 words | 60% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resit opportunities for this module will be available in the Supplementary examination period each year. Normally, Masters students are required to resit those elements of the module that they have not already passed. The Department always writes to all students well before the supplementary examination period to confirm the requirements. |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Describe and evaluate the different concepts and theories of citizenship
2. Describe and evaluate differing theories and conceptualisations of security
3. Critique the assumptions, theories and practices that have defined traditional studies of security and citizenship.
4. Discuss the significance of the `new' and alternative conceptions of security and citizenship for international politics
5. Discuss the complexities of the security-citizenship relationship.
6. Demonstrate through written work and seminar discussion an ability to synthesise conceptual analyses of the citizenship/security nexus as it relates to contemporary global issues
Aims
This module stems directly from the Department's successful application for Marie-Curie EST fellowships under the EU's FP6 Programme. The module consolidates and builds upon existing departmental strengths in security studies and international relations theory. It provides students with the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge on the theories of citizenship and security and nexus between the two concepts.
Brief description
This module provides a comprehensive analysis, understanding and critique of the differing theoretical and conceptual approaches to citizenship and security. First the module tackles citizenship as a means of both protecting and empowering members of the political community. This module will critically investigate the possibilities and problems of developing citizenship beyond the nation-state. Second the module will examine and critique the broadening of the concept of security from traditional to critical and post-structural approaches.
Content
- Citizenship in Ancient Greek Political Thought
- Citizenship and Liberalism
- Citizenship and Republicanism
- Citizenship and Cosmopolitanism
Part Two: Contemporary Approaches to Security
- Security Studies and Political Realism
- The Copenhagen School
- Critical and Post-structural approaches to security
Part Three: The Citizenship/Security Nexus
- Broadening Security: Human Security
- Globalisation and Risk
- Security and Democracy
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas both verbally and in writing and how to assert themselves to advantage. They will understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will know how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to the best advantage. They will learn to be clear and direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic, focus and objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars will be run in groups where oral discussion and presentations will form the main medium of teaching and the emphasis throughout the module will be on student participation and communication. Fellow students will be encouraged to question the paper-giver to critique their approach or to suggest areas for the development of the chosen topic; in turn each will discuss the contributions and ideas of the other. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context of assistance from both the convenor and the fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, compiling reading lists, and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their essay and presentation topics. The need to conduct a seminar presentation and to meet an essay deadline will focus students¿ attention on the need to manage their time and opportunity resources well. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information on the web, as well as seeking sources through electronic information sources (such as BIDS and OCLC). |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The discussions in particular will help to develop students¿ verbal and presentation skills. Learning about the process of planning an essay and a presentation, framing the parameters of the projects, honing and developing the projects and seeing through to completion will contribute towards their portfolio of transferable skills |
| Problem solving | Independent project work and problem solving will be one of the central goals of the module; the submission of two essays will require that the student develops independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; consider extreme cases; reason logically; construct theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems. |
| Research skills | The submission of two essays will reflect the independent research skills of the student. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of subject specific skills that help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas on the module. These subject specific skills include: Collect and understand a wide range of data relating to the module Ability to evaluate competing perspectives Demonstrate subject specific research techniques Apply a range of methodologies to complex political problems |
| Team work | Seminars will consist in part of small-group discussion where students will be obliged to discuss as a group the core issues related to seminar topics. Such class room debates and discussions are a vital component of the module |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7