| Unit name | Conflict, Security and Development |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM1007 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Christie |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit provides an introduction and overview to key theoretical, historical and policy issues linking conflict, security and development. It begins by examining the nature of contemporary violent conflict, its relationship with questions of development and security and how different academic and policy communities have traditionally treated these issues. It goes on to critically analyse the drivers that link these themes and various international responses to them. The unit introduces conceptual frameworks for understanding the relationship between conflict, security and development across five specific themes: (1) sources and consequences of contemporary violent conflict and particularly intra-state conflict; (2) conflict prevention measures and disincentives for violence; (3) international intervention including peacekeeping, political and economic assistance and international aid; (4) post-conflict demilitarisation and reconstruction; (5) governance regimes, security and development, examining the role of international organisations, state and sub state actors in promoting and retarding development and security. This unit is only available to students registered for MSc/Diploma degrees in the Department of Politics. Please note that the Department does not permit the auditing of any of its units.
Aims:
This unit aims to provide students with a theoretical and empirical understanding of development and security issues and debates in the context of contemporary conflict. The principal aim of the unit is to equip students to explore the connections between these two fields, particularly their relationship with contemporary violent conflict. The unit will therefore develop the student’s interest in and knowledge and understanding of, the role of development and security actors in violent conflict at the international, national and sub-national levels; approaches to understanding contemporary violent conflict, particularly its prevention, termination and resolution; and theories of international relations in which development and security debates are located.
At the end of this unit students will:
The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities
Formative assessment: an oral presentation supported by a handout Summative assessment: a 4,000 word essay
A full statement of the relationship between the programme outcomes and types/methods of assessment is contained in accompanying Programme Specifications and section B7 of the Major Change to Current Programme forms for the programmes of which this unit is a part. The assessment for each unit is designed to fit within and contribute to that approach in terms of intellectual development across each of the two teaching blocks, and in relation to knowledge and understanding, intellectual skills and attributes, and transferable skills.
