Brief description: This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the nature, ethics and rationale of contemporary terrorism and counter terrorism measures; the nature and historical origins of general Islamism; and the relationship between terrorism and particular, radical forms of Islamism.

This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the nature, causes and rationale of contemporary terrorism, with particular reference to the events surrounding September 11 and the Middle East. To understand September 11 and its aftermath, it is necessary to understand both the development of terrorism and counter terrorism in the 20th century, the development of the modern state and the international system, and the particular circumstances within which radical Islamism developed. Terrorism will be studied within the context of the development of the state, the post-colonial state and the international system. Radical Islamism will be examined against the evolution of Islamism in general, with a particular focus on the structural and ideological factors that shaped its different manifestations. Students are expected to gain a critical understanding of the problematic surrounding the concept of terrorism.

The module is broadly divided into three subject areas. First, students will be given an understanding of terrorism as a historically specific and socially constituted form of violent political action, which developed in interaction with the development of the modern state and the international system. Second, students will be introduced to the historical, structural and ideological developments that have shaped the different Islamisms. Section three will focus on a number of case studies, drawn from the contexts of the War on Terror and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Students have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of transferable skills that help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas. Throughout the module, students should practice and develop their reading, comprehension and thinking skills, as well as self-management. In seminars students enhance and develop their analytical skills and practice listening, explaining and debating skills. Oral and written skills will be developed through seminar presentations, discussions and written assignments. Essay writing encourages students to practice independent research, writing and IT skills and the examination will test these skills under time constraint conditions. Personal initiative will be encouraged through the involvement of students in the selection of case studies for seminar discussion. Students will also be expected to work in groups, both in terms of seminar preparation and in seminar discussions. Transferable skills will be developed through the use of information technology, the use of various research resources and techniques, as well as the requirement to present work in a consistent and scholarly manner. Computer literacy will be facilitated by the extensive use of websites related to the topics covered in this module.