Deadly Words: The Language of Political Violence
| Module title | Deadly Words: The Language of Political Violence |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3000 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Harrison Swinhoe () |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
In this module you are introduced to the crucial role of language in political violence. Building on theories from various disciplines (psychology, rhetoric, social cognition, IR), we expose the main ways through which language is used to propel political violence: through persuasion, identity constitution, threat construction, and worldview modelling. We use this conceptual toolbox to rigorously analyse a range of speeches/texts that played a role in triggering political violence, locating their important characteristics and modelling the social-cognitive processes that made these characteristics elicit violence. These cases are chosen from across the political spectrum (from Salafi-jihadist propaganda to far-right prose, from incel online communities to genocide radio in Rwanda) to highlight the common traits that characterise extremist language as well as to identify the specificities of each case. You do not need any pre-requisite/co-requisite for this module, which is highly recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
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)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. 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;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. 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;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. 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.
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 activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 78 | Reading and preparations for seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Research and writing required for completion of course work |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| One individual presentation of required readings | 5 min | 1, 3-4 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-3; 5 | Written |
| Practical Analysis | 50 | 1,500 words | 3-8 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-3; 5 | August/September reassessment period |
| Practical Analysis | Practical Analysis (1,500 words) | 3-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic readings:
Berntzen L.E., Sandberg S. (2014) “The Collective Nature of Lone Wolf Terrorism: Anders Behring Breivik and the Anti-Islamic Social Movement, Terrorism & Political Violence 26(5): 759-779.
Bhatia M. (2005) “Fighting Words: Naming Terrorists, Bandits, Rebels and Other Violent Actors”, Third World Quarterly 26(1): 5-22.
Buzan B., Waever O., De Wilde J. (1998) Security: A New Framework for Analysis. Boulder: Lynne Rienner.
Fekete L. (2011) “The Muslim conspiracy theory and the Oslo massacre”, Race & Class 53(3): 30-47.
Halfmann D., Young M. (2010) “War Pictures: The Grotesque as a Mobilizing Tactic”, Mobilization: An International Quarterly 15(1): 1-24
Halverson J., Goodall H., Corman S. (2011) Master Narratives of Islamist Extremism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hewstone M., Cairns E. (2001) “Social Psychology and Intergroup Conflict”, in Chirot, Seligman (eds.) Ethnopolitical Warfare: Causes, Consequences, and Possible Solutions. Washington DC: American Psychological Association, pp.319-342.
Ingram H. (2016) “An analysis of Islamic State’s Dabiq magazine”, Australian Journal of Political Science, Early view.
Ingram H. (2016b) “Deciphering the Siren Call of Militant Islamist Propaganda: Meaning, Credibility and Behavioural Change”, ICCT Research Paper, online document.
Ingram H. (2017) “An Analysis of Inspire and Dabiq: Lessons from AQAP and Islamic State’s Propaganda War”, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 40(5): 357-375.
Kunda Z. (1999) Social Cognition. Making Sense of People. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Lasswell H. (1927) “The Theory of Political Propaganda”, American Political Science Review 21(3): 627-631.
McCauley C., Moskalenko S. (2008) “Mechanisms of Political Radicalization: Pathways Toward Terrorism”, Terrorism & Political Violence 20(3): 415-433.
Milton D. (2016) Communication Breakdown: Unraveling the Islamic State’s Media Efforts”, Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point, online document available at https://ctc.usma.edu/posts/communication-breakdown-unraveling-the-islamic-states-media-efforts.
Oliver J., Wood T. (2014) “Conspiracy Theories and the Paranoid Style(s) of Mass Opinion”, American Journal of Political Science 58(4): 952-966.
Pegelow T. (2006) “Determining ‘People of German Blood’, ‘Jews’ and ‘Mischlinge’: The Reich Kinship Office and the Competing Discourses and Powers of Nazism, 1941–1943”, Contemporary European History 15(1): 43-65.
Reicher S., Hopkins N., Levine M., Rath R. (2005) “Entrepreneurs of Hate and Entrepreneurs of Solidarity: Social Identity as a Basis for Mass Communication”, International Review of the Red Cross 87(860): 621-637.
Sullivan D., Landau M., Rothschild Z. (2010) “An Existential Function of Enemyship: Evidence that People Attribute Influence to Personal and Political Enemies to Compensate for Threats to Control”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 98(3): 434-449.
Tajfel H., Turner J. (1979) “An Integrative Theory of Intergroup Conflict”. In Austin W., Worschel S. (eds.) The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Monterey: Brooks.
Whiteside C. (2016) “Lighting the Path: The Evolution of the Islamic State Media Enterprise (2003-2016)”, ICCT Research Paper, online document.
From the module convenor:
Baele S., Boyd K., Coan T., eds. (2019) ISIS Propaganda. Oxford University Press.
Baele S., Boyd K., Coan T. (2019): “Lethal Images: Analysing Extremist Visual Propaganda”, Journal of Global Security Studies, online before print.
Baele S., Brace L., Coan T. (2019): “From ‘Incel’ to ‘Saint’: Analyzing the Violent Worldview behind the 2018 Toronto Attack”, Terrorism & Political Violence, online before print.
Richards H., Baele S., Coan T. (2019): “Studying “Radio Machete”: Towards a Robust Research Programme”, Journal of Genocide Research 21(4).
Baele S. (2019): Conspiratorial Narratives in Violent Political Actors’ Language”, Journal of Language & Social Psychology 38(5-6).
Baele S., Bettiza G., Boyd K., Coan T. (2019) “ISIS’ Clash of Civilizations: Constructing the ‘West’ in Terrorist Propaganda, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, online before print
Baele S., Sterck O., Slingeneyer T., Lits G. (2017) “What Does the “Terrorist” Label Really Do? Measuring and Explaining the Effects of the “Terrorist” and “Islamist” Categories”, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
Baele S., Sterck O., Meur E. (2016) “Theorizing and Measuring Emotions in Conflict. The Case of the 2011 Palestinian Statehood Bid”, Journal of Conflict Resolution 60(4).Baele S., Coan T., Boyd K. (2018) Words of Violence. Theorizing and Mapping Conspiratorial Intergroup Language”, Working Paper.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
- German Propaganda Archives at Calvin College: http://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/index.htm.
- Rwanda Radio Transcripts at Concordia University: http://www.concordia.ca/research/migs/resources/rwanda-radio-transcripts.html.
- The Genocide Archive of Rwanda collection: http://genocidearchiverwanda.org.rw/index.php?title=COLLECTIONS.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 23/01/2018 |
| Last revision date | 07/03/2022 |
