Cultures of War A: the Transformation of War (SOC3066A)
This module description relates to the academic year 2012/3.
| Lecturer(s) | Dr. Charles Masquelier |
|---|---|
| Module level | 3 |
| Credit Value | 15.00 |
| ECTS Value | 7.5 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | One Term : Term 1 |
| Total Student Study Time | 150 hours (including 11 weekly two hour seminars) |
Aims
Leon Trotsky was famously reputed to have said, 'You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you'. Following the attacks of 11 September 2001, this statement seems to be more relevant than ever. Since the end of the Cold War, interstate warfare has been increasingly replaced by global ethnic and religious conflict conducted by sub-national groupings. This course examines the transformation of war in the current era from a sociological perspective to provide an insight into the nature of human conflict, the reality of ethnic and religious war and the transformation of western armed forces as they engage in new kinds of global operations. The course aims to give students an understanding of the emergence of 'new wars' and 'new militaries' and the literature thereon.
This module aims to introduce students to different theories on the transformation of cultures and institutions of war. More specifically, it aims to introduce students to the debate on new/old wars, new/old militaries as well as those on the relationship between society and the different institutions and cultures of war.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
Module-specific skills:
1 gain a critical understanding of the sociological analysis of war that will enable them to analyse contemporary culture independently.
Discipline-specific skills:
2 develop their ability to consider current academic debates critically and to read and write on a broad range of topics.
Personal and key skills:
3 learn to think, write and argue logically through tutorial discussions and written assignments.
Learning/Teaching Methods
Lectures and tutorials: the tutorial groups will be structured around a set of collective tasks which aim to illustrate the key elements of the course.
Through a single assessed coursework assignment the students will be able to develop their understanding of war and their ability to think critically most effectively.
Assignments
Weekly reading
2 x 2,500 word Essays
Assessment
1st 2,500 word Essay (50%) [ILO's 1,2,3] [Written feedback]
2nd 2,500 word Essay (50%) [ILO's 1,2,3] [Written feedback]
Syllabus Plan
New/Old War
Theories of Military Transformation
Combat and Cohesion
Gender and War
Commemoration
Indicative Basic Reading List
Ignatieff, M. 2000 Virtual War, London: Chatto and Windus
Janowitz, M. and Shils, E. 'Cohesion and Disintegration in the Wehrmacht in World War II' in Janowitz, M. Military Conflict (London: Sage, 1975), 177-220.
Kaldor, M. 1999. New and Old Wars: organized violence in the global era. Cambridge: Polity.
Keegan, J. 1994. A History of Warfare, London: Pimlico.
Marshall, S.L.A. Men against Fire, New York: William Morrow and Company
Martin, M. 1977 'Conscription and the Decline of the Mass Army in France, 1960-75', Armed Forces and Society 3 (3): 355-406.
Moskos, C., Allen Williams, J. and Segal, D. 2000. The Postmodern Military. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Latham, A. 'Warfare Transformed: a Braudelian Perspective on the 'Revolution in Military Affairs', European Journal of International Relations 8(2): 231-266.
Luttwak, E. 1995: 'Toward Post-Heroic Warfare'. Foreign Affairs 74 (3): 109-22.
Singer, P. 2003. Corporate Warriors: the rise of the privatized military industry. Ithaca: Cornell University Press
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