Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC1022: Violence in World Politics

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to:

  1. Introduce you to a range of contemporary forms of violence in world politics, and provide you with the conceptual and analytical tools to critically assess their origins, nature and impact.
  2. Enable you to critically analyse and evaluate violence through the lens of different theories in International Relations.
  3. Develop research skills and the ability to find, understand and critically evaluate contemporary political practices. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate an empirical familiarity with a range of contemporary political problems and the debates that they have generated;
2. evaluate and compare different framings and responses;
3. demonstrate an awareness and some capacity think critically about the causes of, and responses to, different forms of violence in world politics.
Discipline-Specific Skills4. identify, discuss major political concepts and theories, and apply them to actual events and outcomes;
5. list, describe, and evaluate different interpretations and reasoned criticisms of scholarship;
6. construct well-structured, sympathetic and rigorous arguments based on logical deduction.
Personal and Key Skills7. interact effectively within a group to develop argument and analysis, and communicate this effectively to others via oral and written forms;
8. work independently and manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities, exercises and assessments;
9. efficiently identify, retrieve and evaluate a range of library-based and electronic research resources, with some guidance.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics.

Conceptual approaches may include:

  • What is violence?
  • Direct Violence
  • Structural/Economic Violence
  • Cultural Violence
  • Institutional Violence
  • Colonial Violence
  • Social Justice

Empirical topics may include:

  • Warfare, including the laws of war and military strategy
  • Urbicide and Genocide
  • Economic inequality and exploitation
  • Sexual and Gender-based violence
  • Terrorism and counter-terrorism
  • Radicalisation and counter-radicalisation
  • Slow violence and environmentalism

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
27.5122.50

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities16.511 x 1.5 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities1111 x 1 hour seminars
Guided Independent Study33Reading and preparing for seminars
Guided Independent Study22Researching and writing formative assessments and assignments
Guided Independent Study25Writing portfolio
Guided Independent Study42.5Preparation for examination

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).