• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Contemporary Debates in Security, Conflict and Justice

Module description

Duration of Module: 30 hours over three workshop days

Module aims - intentions of the module

The unit introduces students to conceptual and theoretical issues in the study of security, conflict, and justice. It examines different disciplinary and theoretical approaches to these themes. Students will engage with normative, empirical and theoretical perspectives and the contemporary research agendas within and between disciplines.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand and analyse critically a range of issues in contemporary security and conflict contexts at multiple levels, from the inter-personal to inter-state
• 2. Understand and critically analyse justice from multiple disciplinary and conceptual perspectives
• 3. Wide knowledge and understanding of the ‘state of the art’ on these issues in different disciplines;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Plan and design independent research into an issue related to security, conflict, and justice; and,
• 5. Engage in constructive, critical discussion about theoretical and disciplinary perspectives on critical issues in security, conflict and justice;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Write articulately, concisely and persuasively about issues in security, conflict, and justice.
• 7. Design, plan and deliver a group presentation

Syllabus plan

The unit will be taught in three intensive days split into thematic sessions. Below is an indicative list but may be subject to change: 
Session 1 (1 day): Introduction to the pathway; Violence 
Session 2 (2 days): Ethnicity; Gender 
Session 3 (2 days): Human rights; Governance and sovereignty 
 A typical workshop day will include: 
• Introductory session mapping the broad contours of the topic; 
• Different disciplinary perspectives presented through lecturers from a range of disciplines across the DTC partners; 
• Facilitated seminar/workshop to debate particular issues from an interdisciplinary perspective including, where appropriate, presentations from existing PhD researchers; and, 
• Concluding session 
All students will be expected to attend in person; virtual learning is not commensurate with the small group expected for this unit. Lecturers will be encouraged to attend in person but, where necessary, may deliver their presentations virtually.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Galtung, Johan 1969. ‘Violence, peace, and peace research.’ Journal of Peace Research 63: 167-191
• Jacoby, Tim 2008. Understanding Conflict and Violence: Theoretical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. London: Routledge.
• Kolodziej, Edward A. 2005. ‘Chapter 2: The foundations of security studies: Hobbes, Clausewitz, Thucydides’. In: Security and International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Moyn, Samuel, 2010. The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. 
• Woods, Kerri 2014. Human Rights. Basingstoke. Palgrave Macmillan. 
• Freeman, Michael 2002. Human Rights: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Cambridge: Polity Press.
• Goodhand, Jonathan 2000. ‘Research in conflict areas: Ethics and accountability.’ Forced Migration Review 8: 12-15.

Key words search

MRES, security, conflict, justice