Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3257: Understanding Terrorism and Counterterrorism

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 terrorism as a form of political violence, radicalisation and its relationship with the media. Through a combination of critical discussions, watching documentaries & media analysis, lectures, analysis of current events, and participatory exercises (e.g. games, pub quizzes, group work and presentations), you will develop a core base of knowledge about terrorism.

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 Skills	1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of terrorism as a form of political violence, radicalisation and counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation policies. 2. Appreciate historical trends in terrorism and the link between terrorism and various forms of media.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Appreciate the complexities of the topic and the interlinkages between politics, sociology, economics and legal perspectives aimed at providing a holistic understanding of terrorism. 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. 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.

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 and theoretical frameworks in studying terrorism
Historical trends
Terrorism and technologies
Terrorism and Media
Gender in Terrorism
Critical Studies of Terrorism
Counter terrorism mechanisms
Reintegration, reengagement and reconciliation of former terrorists and violent extremists

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
44	256	0

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

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activity	44	22 x 2-hour seminars
Guided Independent Study	100	Private study reading and preparing for seminars and presentations
Guided Independent Study	156	Preparation for essay and pre-seen exam including researching and collating relevant sources; planning the structure and argument; writing up the essay

Online Resources

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

https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/

www.icc-cpi.int

www.interpol.int

www.europa.eu

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) Nacos, Brigitte, 2016, “Mass-Mediated Terrorism: Mainstream and Digital Media in Terrorism and Counterterrorism 3rd Edition, USA: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, INC

2) Hoffman, Bruce. 2017. “Inside Terrorism” (3^rd Ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.

3) Kennedy, C. (2015) Terrorism and Political Violence. London: Sage

4) Lee, J. and Lister, M. (2015) Critical Perspectives on Counter-Terrorism. London: Routledge.

5) Journal articles + book chapters