Module Information
Module Identifier
IP30320
Module Title
War, Politics and Strategy
Academic Year
2013/2014
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 2
Other Staff
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 16 Hours. (16 x 1 hour) |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 8 Hours. (8 x 1 hour) |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Seminar Participation | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 2,500 word essay | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 3,000 word book review | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 1,000 word assignment, in lieu of seminar performance | 10% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 2,500 word essay, if essay element failed | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 3,000 word essay, if essay element failed | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
1. Understand key concepts related to the study of war and politics, security and strategy.
2. Understand the ongoing debates about the causes of war and production of peace.
3. Distinguish between several levels of analysis when studying war and politics.
4. Discuss and analyse competing theories about conflict prevention in international politics.
5. Read and evaluate academic literature related to the module subject.
Brief description
This module provides an analytical foundation to the critical study of war, politics and strategy.
Aims
This module is concerned with the relationship between war and politics, strategy and security in modern international relations.
The study of the inter-relationships between war, politics and strategy has been at the heart of academic international relations. Both the subject-matter and the approaches adopted, however, have attracted considerable controversy. By introducing students to a wide variety of intellectual traditions and contemporary ideas about the subject, it is the aim of this module to provide students with a comprehensive basis (concepts, theories and some, especially intellectual, history) for understanding and explaining the most salient issues of war, politics and strategy in the contemporary world.
By the end of the module students should be able to discuss a range of key concepts, theoretical explanations and historical events/trends insofar as they relate to important questions about war, peace, politics, security, force, military power and strategy. The understanding of this material is the basis for examining pressing questions of international security in the world today.
The objectives of the module are both subject-specific and general. The latter include the development of oral, written and research skills because of the need at all stages in the module to assimilate, use, assess and communicate large amounts of complex and often contradictory material. Week-by-week reading of assigned materials is deemed a necessary component of the learning process.
The subject-specific objectives involve the attainment of an honours-level ability to discuss the causes and significance of war, the meanings and practices of peace, the understandings and possibilities of security, the theory and practice of strategy and the roles of politics in war and war in politics.
The study of the inter-relationships between war, politics and strategy has been at the heart of academic international relations. Both the subject-matter and the approaches adopted, however, have attracted considerable controversy. By introducing students to a wide variety of intellectual traditions and contemporary ideas about the subject, it is the aim of this module to provide students with a comprehensive basis (concepts, theories and some, especially intellectual, history) for understanding and explaining the most salient issues of war, politics and strategy in the contemporary world.
By the end of the module students should be able to discuss a range of key concepts, theoretical explanations and historical events/trends insofar as they relate to important questions about war, peace, politics, security, force, military power and strategy. The understanding of this material is the basis for examining pressing questions of international security in the world today.
The objectives of the module are both subject-specific and general. The latter include the development of oral, written and research skills because of the need at all stages in the module to assimilate, use, assess and communicate large amounts of complex and often contradictory material. Week-by-week reading of assigned materials is deemed a necessary component of the learning process.
The subject-specific objectives involve the attainment of an honours-level ability to discuss the causes and significance of war, the meanings and practices of peace, the understandings and possibilities of security, the theory and practice of strategy and the roles of politics in war and war in politics.
Content
The module is divided into three parts:
(1) the causes of war;
(2) the changing character of warfare;
(3) political, strategic and moral considerations of war and peace
(1) the causes of war;
(2) the changing character of warfare;
(3) political, strategic and moral considerations of war and peace
Transferable skills
Students will have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of transferable skills that will help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas. Throughout the course, students should practice and enhance their reading, comprehension and thinking skills, as well as basic numeric skills and self-management skills. In lectures students will develop listening and note taking skills, as well as analytical skills. In seminars students will enhance their analytical skills and will practice listening, explaining and debating skills, as well as team-work and problem solving. Essay writing will encourage students to practice their independent research, writing and IT skills.
10 ECTS credits
10 ECTS credits
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6