Module POL2116 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2116: Political Economy of Armed Conflicts
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The overarching objective of the class is for you to develop interdisciplinary and scientific skills critical for understanding the complexity of the politics and economies of armed conflict. Through a combination of readings, critical discussions, watching documentaries & media analysis, lectures, analysis of current events, and participatory exercises (e.g. group work and presentations), you will develop a core base of knowledge about war economies and resilience of illicit economies of wars.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of economic foundations of wars 2. Appreciate economic foundations of inter-state and intra-state armed conflicts through a wide range of examples of current and historical conflicts |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Appreciate the complexities of the topic and the interlinkages between politics, sociology and economics perspectives aimed at providing a wholistic understanding of economic foundations of armed conflicts. 4. Acquire and display a range of conceptual frameworks and theories from various relevant fields. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Demonstrate empathic appreciation of policy decisions. 6. Demonstrate awareness of contingency in decision-making processes. 7. Demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited timeframe, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task. 8. Communicate effectively in speech and writing. 9. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills through tutorial discussions and module assessments 10. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of the internet, online journal databases and other IT resources for the purposes of tutorial and assessment preparation. 11. Demonstrate effective applied writing. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflection paper outline | 500 words | 1-11 | Peer-assessed |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 1,500 words | 1-11 | Written |
| Essay | 50 | 1,500 words | 1-11 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (1500 words) | 1-11 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay | Essay (1500 words) | 1-11 | August/September reassessment 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.
1) Stubbs, Richard,2018, “Rethinking Asia’s Economic Miracle: The Political Economy of War, Prosperity and Crisis”, 2nd Edition, US: Palgrave
2) Berman, Eli, 2009, “Radical, Religious, and Violent: The New Economics of Terrorism”, London: The MIT Press,
3) Humphreys, Macartan, Jeffrey Sachs, Joseph Stiglitz, 2007, “Escaping the Resource Curse”, New York: Columbia University Press,
4) Journal articles and research & Policy Reports
