Module Catalogue 2023/24

Pre Requisite Comment

POL1032

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This course will consider the concept of security in the study of international relations from a critical perspective. The module aims to equip students with knowledge of different approaches to security and consider how these relate to debates within critical security studies.

The module deploys this conceptual vocabulary to examine a range of security issues of historical and contemporary significance, and considers how they support or challenge competing approaches to security.

Outline Of Syllabus

What is security? What can we know about security? Security is a contested concept and this module explores various critical approaches to the study of security. It will consider questions such as: What does it mean to center the individual as the referent object of security? Is security desirable? Is security possible? How are race and empire implicated in security? Is security a gendered concept? Are state and individual security compatible? Students will consider different conceptualisations of security drawn from critical approaches and will examine how they could be used to account for (in)security. Students will also be exposed to a range of empirical examples of global security challenges which emerge from a ‘broadened’ and ‘deepened’ understanding of security which critical approaches provide.
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Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Intended knowledge outcomes:
1.       An understanding of how the study of security relates to International Relations.
2.       An understanding of the key conceptual approaches to the study of security
3.       An understanding of historically significant and new security challenges of the contemporary period

Intended Skill Outcomes

Intended skill outcomes:
1. To develop written communication through assessment
2. To develop critical and analytical ability
3. To enable students to analyse, understand and think critically about international security

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures introduce students to the key theoretical approaches within the sub-discipline of Security Studies and provide an opportunity to examine how these approaches relate to international security issues of contemporary and historical significance. The seminars allow students to participate in clarifying and exploring the approaches and issues underpinning the module through discussion based on assigned readings. These support students in developing critical, analytical and oral communication skills.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment for this module consists of two components, a reflective blog and a timed essay. The reflective blog will enable students to consider a security issue of their choice and reflect critically on their own positionality to it drawing on a critical security studies framework. This will also help reinforce understanding of concepts engaged with in the learning material and discussed in seminars. The reflective blog is designed to feed forward into preparation for the timed essay through equipping students with the skills to write analytically and critically. The timed essay will allow students to critically engage with different concepts of security and apply it in the context of issues of contemporary and historical significance to security. Both the reflective blog and timed essay assess critical thinking, written communication and argumentation.

General Notes

N/A