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Rising Powers, Peace and Conflict

Module description

In a changing global order, existing international approaches to security and conflict are often challenged by non-Western states, including so-called ‘Rising Powers’, such as India, Brazil, Russia, Turkey and China. In this module you will examine the dynamics of contestation and cooperation among different international actors in responding to outbreaks of armed conflict around the world and in promoting international security, with reference to the approaches and policies of influential non-Western states. During the module, you will analyse relevant case-studies of contemporary armed conflicts and engage in debates about different approaches to conflict management and to international peace and security.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to familiarise you with an emerging debate in international relations about the most appropriate and effective responses to intrastate armed conflicts. You will further develop your understanding of the dominant ‘Western’ liberal peace-building model, before going on to engage with alternatives to this model, both in relation to thematic issues, such as democratisation, economic liberalisation, and the use of force, and in relation to specific outbreaks of conflict around the world. The module also aims to provide insight into the divergent policies of major non-Western powers on questions of international peace and security, and the impact of these policies on international institutions, such as the UN.  The module will also provide an opportunity to develop your skills in analysing conflicts and policy responses, through in-depth studies of contemporary conflicts.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. understand contemporary debates around international responses to armed conflict;
• 2. critically evaluate a range of policies towards specific conflicts;
• 3. understand competing theoretical frameworks for assessing conflict and responses to conflict;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. critically analyse both empirical and theoretical material;
• 5. deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical case studies;

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 6. collect, analyse and evaluate relevant secondary and primary sources;
• 7. work independently and with peers; and
• 8. communicate effectively through well-structured speech and writing.

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:

1. The ‘liberal peace’ and its discontents: an examination of the main normative and institutional elements in the dominant international framework for addressing armed conflict; the changing global order and its impact on the existing international system of security and conflict management.

2. Country-specific approaches to international security, conflict management and development: the responses of major non-Western powers, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, towards armed conflict.

3. Global institutions, norms and regimes: how shifts in the international system are impacting on global responses to conflict in the UN and other international institutions.

Contemporary case-studies will be examined in detail throughout the course to illustrate particular areas of international contestation/cooperation. 

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

Basic reading:

Bellamy, A. J. and P. D. Williams, Providing Peacekeepers: The Politics, Challenges, and Future of United Nations Peacekeeping Contributions (Oxford University Press, 2013).

Call, Charles T., and Cedric De Coning, Rising Powers and Peacebuilding: Breaking the Mold?. Palgrave, 2017. Jütersonke, Oliver, et al. "Norm Contestation and Normative Transformation in Global Peacebuilding Order (s): The Cases of China, Japan, and Russia." International Studies Quarterly 65.4 (2021): 944-959.Parlar Dal, Emel. "Rising powers in international conflict management: an introduction." Third World Quarterly 39.12 (2018): 2207-2221.

Ramsbottom, Oliver, Tom Woodhouse, Hugh Miall, Contemporary Conflict Resolution (4thedition), Cambridge; Malden MA: Polity, 2016.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

International Relations; Peace and Conflict Studies