Political violence

Key information
- Start date
- End date
- Duration
- Term 2
- Module code
- 15PPOH009
- FHEQ Level
- 7
- Credits
- 15
- Department
- Department of Politics and International Studies
Module overview
The module offers Masters students in the MSc in Middle East Politics an opportunity to engage with the a range of debates surrounding political violence in a variety of manifestations prevalent in Africa and Asia, but especially the Middle East. The module themes include conventional and civil warfare, colonial and decolonisation violence, counterinsurgencies, torture and domestic repression, demonstrations and riots, and terror.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the module
- engage with various debates surrounding political violence
- understand different social scientific approaches to the question of violence
- hone the students’ analytic and research skills
- hone the students’ oral and written communication abilities.
Workload
- 2 hour seminar per week
Method of assessment
- Assignment 1: 40%
- Assignment 2: 60%
Suggested reading
- Raymond Williams, 1983. “Violence” in Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society , (New York: Oxford University Press), pp. 329-331.
- Charles Tilly, 2003. The Politics of Collective Violence . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-25 ("Varieties of Violence") and 55-80 (Trends, Variations, and Explanations").
- Hannah Arendt, 1969. "Reflections on Violence", New York Review of Books , 27 February 1969
Disclaimer
Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules