Module POL2057 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2057: Security Studies
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
This module will introduce you to the study of war and the use of force in world politics. It will explore three schools of thought (strategic studies, contemporary security studies and peace studies) and examine the theories and concepts they deploy to understand contemporary conflict. Moreover, it will examine cases of political violence and address current issues relating to strategy, security and peace. The module will focus first on strategic studies and the pursuit or order and national security, before going on to look at (international) security more broadly and the old and new concerns it raises, and then finally considering peace and international interventions to end conflict. The module provides a broad survey of strategy, security and peace which will provide a basis for more detailed studies at Level 3 and in undergraduate and postgraduate research.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate knowledge of a specific case of conflict with regard to the following schools of thought: strategic studies, contemporary security studies and peace studies; 2. situate this knowledge critically with respect to the other schools of thought; 3. understand how these concepts and cases inform our study of the general field of International Relations; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. critically analyse secondary source material including audio-visual material in the field of politics; 5. understand and use political theory; 6. construct well-structured and rigorous political arguments; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. demonstrate the ability to digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment; 8. demonstrate competence to use the internet and other IT resources. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Introduction: War, conflict, security: contentious concepts
Part 1:Classical approaches to war, security and conflict: Strategy, geopolitics, and traditional IR theories
Part 2: Contemporary security studies: new theories and new objects in a changing world
Part 3: Crossing disciplinary boundaries: security through the lens of Economics and Psychology
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5 | 123.5 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures. Subject knowledge will be communicated in lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour tutorials - subject knowledge will be developed through tutorial discussion and group worksheets prepared in advance |
| Guided Independent study | 14 | Worksheet preparation |
| Guided Independent study | 109.5 | Weekly reading, essay reading and writing, exam revision |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Other Learning Resources
Other materials will be identified by the module convener in lectures, tutorials and via ELE.
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 xTutorial worksheets | Two page A4 worksheets | 1-2, 4, 7-8 | Verbal |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 67 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 67 | 1.5 hours | 1-7 | Written |
| Essay | 33 | 1,500 words | 1-8 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examination (1.5 hours) | 1-7 | August/September assessment period |
| Essay | Essay (1,500 words) | 1-8 | August/September assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
The core textbook for this module is:
Contemporary security studies. Edited by Alan Collins. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Second edition.
