Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3000: Deadly Words: The Language of Political Violence

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

Module Aims

The primary aim of this module is to develop the analytical skills required for the study of extremist texts and speeches. You will gain a fine understanding of the most pertinent theoretical approaches focusing on language and conflict broadly construed, and will learn to put these approaches to play for the study of violent political actors’ communications.

More broadly, the module ought to strengthen your critical understanding of 1) political communication at large (including mainstream), 2) conflict and insecurity, and 3) processes of “othering”, categorization and classifications in socio-political contexts.

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. Identify the main approaches and theories of language and violence;
2. Explain in a sophisticated way how these theories help to analyse specific cases;
3. Draw the implications of this theoretical framework to a wider variety of political speeches and texts in a critical way;
Discipline-Specific Skills4. Integrate complex and unconnected scientific inquiries (from various disciplines) within a single coherent piece of analysis on extremist political language;
5. Apply highly theoretical constructs to real-life political examples;
6. Analyse past and ongoing political problems through the prism of the theoretical framework seen in class;
Personal and Key Skills7. Applying practical analysis of any example of extremist language.
8. Deliver a systematic analysis of a real case of extremist prose that is written rigorously yet comprehensibly for a non-academic target readership.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics, broadly divided in two parts (theoretical, then empirical):

  • What is extremist language?
  • Theory: Basic concepts in political communication
  • Theory: Polarizing Intergroup language.
  • Theory: Plots, narratives, conspiracies.
  • Theory: Visual imagery
  • Case 1: Nazi propaganda
  • Case 2: Forum discussion on case-study.
  • Case 3: Rwandan genocidaires’ radio
  • Case 4: Salafi-jihadi groups’ communications
  • Case 5: The far-right online ecosystem

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
221280

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2211 x 2 hour seminars
Guided Independent Study78Reading and preparations for seminars
Guided Independent Study50Research and writing required for completion of course work

Online Resources

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