| Unit name | The Politics of War |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPAIM0032 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Tidy |
| 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 asks how war has been conceptualised and explored beyond traditional state-centric accounts. It draws upon a range of inter-disciplinary, broadly critical, approaches to war, which are explored through application to a set of contemporary case studies. Illustrative topics include: defining ‘war’; representing war; memory and commemoration; gender and war; dissent; war and experience; and orientalism. These areas are discussed in relation to examples drawn from issues such as the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the ‘war on terror’, drone warfare, and Wikileaks/Bradley Manning. The aim of the unit is to encourage students to think critically about both the concept of war and different modes of analysis.
Upon completion of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate: 1) A comprehensive understanding of the range of critical approaches to the study of war 2) An ability to critically evaluate the principal theoretical assumptions and contentions of these accounts through an exploration of case studies 3) An understanding of the implications of these approaches for the generation of knowledge about war, and the terms of informed public debate 4) The ability to engage in independent research directed by an indicative reading list
Weekly two-hour seminar
Summative: essay of 4000 words (worth 100% of unit mark) Formative: essay of 1500 words (or equivalent)
Sylvester, C. (2012) War As Experience, London: Routledge. Porter, P. (2009) Military Orientalism: Eastern War Through Western Eyes, London: Hurst Der Derian, J. (2009). Virtuous War: Mapping the Military-industrial-media-entertainment-network. London: Routledge. Zehfuss, M. (2003). Forget September 11. Third World Quarterly, 24(3), 513-528.
