Module POC2087 for 2022/3
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POC2087: Security Studies
This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.
Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.
Module Aims
This module will:
- Introduce you to mainstream and critical perspectives on security practices in liberal democracies;
- Encourage you to reflect on the meaning of ‘security’ and the normative implications of seeking security;
- Train you in the skills to evaluate and constructively critique peers’ work.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Describe, contrast and analyse some competing theoretical perspectives on the meaning and practice of security in liberal democracies 2. Apply theoretical approaches to the analysis of empirical and normative issues related to security practices in liberal democracies, and display a competent awareness of the limitations and implications of each perspective 3. Use evidence to explain and defend the adoption of a particular theoretical and conceptual approach to the analysis of a security practice or issue |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Construct a logical academic argument supported by evidence 5. Apply on abstract theoretical approaches to new contexts in order to make sense of real world problems 6. Identify and apply a conceptual framework from some academic sources in order to answer an essay question, then explain the choice of this framework |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. Formulate and present information and critical analysis in both written and oral forms in a coherent manner 8. Understand assessment criteria, engage in constructive peer-evaluation, produce feedback and develop suggestions for improvement. 9. Work effectively with peers in order to present ideas and facilitate discussions |
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:
- "Security! What do you mean?"
- State Security and Trident
- Liberal Security and Trident
- Emancipation and Intervention
- Feminism and Sex
- Postcolonialism and Development
- Poststructuralism and Fear
- Securitisation and the Everyday
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 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 activities | 11 | 11 x 1 hour seminars |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 11 | 11 x 1 hour lectures |
| Guided independent study | 83 | Research and preparation for seminars |
| Guided independent study | 45 | Revising and preparing for essays |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
CHALLENGE: A Research Project Funded by the Sixth Framework Research Programme of DG Research (European Commission) (http://www.libertysecurity.org/)
Critical Approaches to Security in Europe (c.a.s.e. collective): http://www.casecollective.org
Histories of Violence. (http://historiesofviolence.com/)
The Disorder of Things https://thedisorderofthings.com/
Other Learning Resources
Battle of Algiers (1966)
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Four Lions (2010)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Item Presentation | 10 minutes | 1-5, 7-8 | Written |
| Respondent to Student-Led seminar | 10 minutes | 1-7 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Term Essay | 40 | 1,000 words | 1-7 | Written |
| Essay | 60 | 2,500 words | 1-9 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Term Essay | Essay (1,000 words) | 1-7 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay | Essay (2,500 words) | 1-9 | August/September re-assessment period |
