Delivery Type	Delivery length / details
Seminars / Tutorials	22 Hours. (1 x 2 hour seminar per week)

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Essay: 1 x 3,000-3,500 words	40%
Semester Assessment	Essay: 1 x 4,500 - 5,000 words	60%
Supplementary Exam	Students may, subject to Faculty approval, have the opportunity to resit this module, normally during the supplementary examination period. For further clarification please contact the Teaching Programme Administrator in the Department of International Politics.

Learning Outcomes

On completing the module students will be able to:

- describe, analyse and assess the assumptions, theories and practices that have defined post World War II `traditional security studies?;

- identify, analyse and evaluate the assumptions and theories that underpin alternative conceptualisations of security, namely various forms of constructivism, post-structuralism and critical theory; and,

- critically analyse and discuss the implications of these alternative standpoints as refracted through recent debates in the area of security studies concerning, inter alia, the most appropriate `referent object? for security, `broadening? security beyond military issues, `securitization?, and the purpose and audience of security studies

Brief description

This module explores the `critical' turn in thinking about security through an examination of the main alternative conceptualisations of security that have emerged in recent years. It is a core module for students on the `Specialist? pathway of the Security Studies programme but is also available for other 'Specialist' pathway Masters students in the Department.

Aims

This module aims to allow students to develop the ability to analyse, evaluate and discuss:

- the assumptions, theories and practices that have defined post World War II `traditional security studies?;

- the assumptions and theories that underpin alternative conceptualisations of security, namely various forms of constructivism, post-structuralism and critical theory; and,

- the implications of these alternative standpoints as refracted through recent debates in the area of security studies concerning, inter alia, the most appropriate `referent object? for security, `broadening? security beyond military issues, `securitization?, and the purpose and audience of security studies.

Content

This module provides a critical overview of the study of security in world politics from the perspective(s) of those employing alternative conceptualisations of security to the military-focused, state-centrism at the heart of traditional security/strategic studies. Following in-depth discussion of traditional understandings of security the module discusses, in turn, various constructivist, post-structuralist and critical theoretic attempts to conceptualise the nature of security. The differences and common ground between these approaches is highlighted through a consideration of key debates in contemporary security studies.

Transferable skills

Conceptual thinking is at the heart of this module. Students on the module will learn to think about the relationship between concepts in the field of security studies and underlying theoretical and philosophical positions, on the one hand, and the implications of various conceptualisations to practice, on the other.

Throughout the module, students should practice and enhance their reading, comprehension and thinking skills and their self-management skills. In seminars students will enhance their analytical skills and will practice listening, explaining and debating skills, as well as team-working skills. The review essay will allow students on the Specialist pathway to further develop analytical and communication skills. Essay writing will encourage students on both teh Specialist and Research Training pathways to practice their independent research, writing and IT skills.

15 ECTS Credits

Course Delivery

Assessment

Learning Outcomes

Brief description

Aims

Content

Transferable skills

Reading List

Notes