| Unit name | Transitional Justice in the Aftermath of Conflict |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM0049 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Roddy Brett |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
In the aftermath of internal armed conflict, genocide, mass atrocity and civil war, societies and states seek to rebuild, and in so doing, have increasingly sought to address and redress both the causes and consequences of protracted political violence and mass atrocity. Within this context, the now consolidated practice and discourse of transitional justice and the newly enshrined rights of victims (to justice, truth, reparations and non-repetition) have become key instruments. Transitional justice mechanisms seek to guarantee the restitution of the individual and collective dimensions of victims' rights and represents a crucial weapon for victims of political violence to hold perpetrators accountable. Globally, transitional justice mechanisms now assume a central role in the context of transition from violent and protracted armed conflict, as societies and states seek to re-establish effective rule of law, address gross and often systematic human rights violations by guaranteeing accountability for perpetrators and work towards sustainable peace and development. The approach taken in the unit will be to contrast the theory and practice of transitional justice and will include a focus on the role of national/domestic actors, including state and non-state actors, and of the international community, including the United Nations System.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit builds on the conceptual and theoretical understanding of security, justice, rights, and international relations developed by the relevant mandatory units. Students will gain a critical understanding of the theoretical approaches to and practical methodologies of transitional justice, a contextual understanding of key conceptual and empirical issues within these debates. Students will also gain a demonstrable in-depth knowledge of a number of specific case study countries, including in the regions of Latin America and Africa. Students will gain cognitive, communicative, and transferable skills, including the ability to evaluate advanced concepts, arguments and theories, to employ both primary and secondary sources, to present reasoned and effective arguments in written and oral form, to pursue independent learning and to show critical judgement.
Content Overview
Since the transitions from authoritarian rule in the 1980s, transitional justice has been employed in societies emerging out of authoritarian rule and armed conflict. The paradigm now represents one of the cornerstones of Liberal Peacebuilding. This unit addresses the development and evolution of the theory and practice of transitional justice, and its role within liberal peacebuilding, critically engaging with the core theoretical scholarship and key empirical case studies.
How will students personally be different?
Students will gain an understanding of complex processes at domestic and international levels oriented specifically towards addressing the causes and legacies of violent conflict, genocide, civil war and authoritarianism. They will, at the same time, engage critically with the transitional justice literature working specifically with rigorous theoretical and empirical perspectives in order to comprehend the factors shaping how societies and states deal with past violence and to understand the core objectives, limitations and possibilities of the transitional justice paradigm. In so doing, students will develop comparative analytical skills.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, the students will be able to:
Teaching is dual-centred, placing theoretical discussions/scholarship in dialogue with empirical evidence-based research with the aim of testing and building theory and elucidating deep insight into thick case studies, on the other. Teaching is student-centred, with students expected to contribute to seminars through presentations and peer to peer learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
800 word Framework Plan for Policy Paper
The framework plan for your policy paper allows you to develop the ideas and skills required to build effectively your final piece of work.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3,000 word Policy Paper (100%) [ILOs 1-6]
Your policy paper will set out a policy response to an episode of atrocious violence – including why the response is relevant and workable, how it can be justified, and how and with which mechanisms it will be operationalised.
When assessment does not go to plan
You will normally complete the reassessment in the same format as outlined above. Students are expected to select a different policy paper from the original.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. POLIM0049).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
