Security and Development in Fragile and Conflict Affected Areas, PES7048-B

Submission date:

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT

Essay

COURSEWORK BRIEF

Assessment details Write one essay of 2800-3000 words chosen from the following list: (weighting 80% of the module’s total assessment).

The title of the essay can be drawn from the following (you can propose revisions or alternative questions if you wish, provided that these are appropriate in relation to the learning objectives of this module, but these need to be explicitly approved): no other titles will be accepted, unless expressly authorised in writing by the Module Director.

Note you should not select an essay question that directly overlaps with your group project question. If in doubt, consult with one of the module co-ordinators. Note also that the focus of the module is on fragile and conflict-affected areas. Use only countries and areas that fall in this category as case studies.

These essay questions are provisional and subject to change by external examiners, though they do provide a reliable basis for starting to select and prepare your essay.

Please select one of the following essay questions

Please ensure that your essay directly addresses the full question as asked, drawing upon relevant themes and debates discussed in the relevant module teaching sessions.

Examine and assess the extent to which, and in what contexts, strategies and programmes aimed at poverty alleviation in developing countries need to address issues in insecurity from violence and inadequate access to justice. Further develop and illustrate your analysis with reference to one or more case studies.
Critically examine the impact of the concept of ‘fragile states’ on how international development co-operation has developed since 2000 in a region or sub-region of your choice? Further develop and illustrate your analysis with reference to one or more case studies.
To what extent, and in what ways, has development assistance been securitised since the 1990s? Identify and assess the benefits and risks of such ‘securitisation’ in fragile and developing contexts which are not experiencing large-scale armed conflict.
If the concept of ‘human security’ is vague and slippery, how useful is it in debates about setting priorities and approaches for enhancing security and development in fragile areas?
Critically examine the methodological challenges of analysing and assessing a country’s fragility. Focussing on an existing fragility assessment methodology (of your choice), critically discuss the fragility assessment it provides for a country of your choice.
To what extent have ‘fragile states’ developed as a result of historical, geographical and global structural conditions or of poor political leadership? Further develop your analysis using one or more case studies.
To what extent do countries that have recently emerged from civil war have fragility characteristics that are distinct compared with fragile states that have not recently experienced war?
Discuss the issues and priorities for using country fragility assessments to develop national strategies for moving from fragility to resilience. Develop your analysis in relation to a country of your choice.
Critically examine the extent to which the international mechanisms and institutional agendas of EITHER the ‘New Deal’ on Statebuilding and Peacebuilding’ processes since 2011, OR SDG 16 since 2025 have proved to be sufficient to substantially shape or strengthen international efforts to promote human security and development in developing countries.
Critically examine and assess a reform process for improving policing services and/or access to justice for poor communities in a developing or fragile state of your choice. To what extent did this reform process aim effectively to engage with both formal and customary police and justice providers?
To what extent are programmes to prevent and reduce gender-based violence an essential element of effective measures to enhance security and development in EITHER fragile OR conflict-affected states. Further develop your analysis using one or more case studies.
Critically assess the relevance and significance of community safety and security programmes in efforts to enhance development and poverty alleviation in EITHER fragile OR conflict affected contexts.
Why do levels of gender-based violence sometimes increase after large-scale violent conflicts are coming to an end?
Examine the significance and impacts of international development co-operation and investment in fragile developing states by ONE of the following industrialising countries for EITHER conflict sensitive development OR resilience and pathways from fragility: China, India, Turkey, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, or Brazil. Develop your analysis using case studies from a developing region of your choice.
Examine the inter-relationships between state fragility and EITHER organised crime and trafficking OR terrorism. Further develop your analysis by examining in a case study of your choice the implications and attractions of state fragility for EITHER organised crime and trafficking networks OR terrorist groups; and the extent to which these further re-enforce state fragility.
‘Poverty reduction strategies and programmes in fragile states need to combine measures to enhance community security and access to justice with socio-economic development programmes if they are to be effective’. Assess the extent to which this statement is valid, and then further develop your assessment using one or more case studies.
Critically assess the relative importance of vertical and horizontal economic inequalities as factors contributing to risks of violent conflict in poor developing countries, making use of relevant empirical evidence. Discuss the implications for conflict prevention and human security-building measures, focussing on one or more case studies.
Critically examine a security sector reform programme or process in a fragile state of your choice. Analyse the challenges and opportunities for achieving the intended reforms; and the extent to which the programme successfully negotiated these.
To what extent has natural resource degradation and scarcity due to climate change become a primary factor causing violent conflicts in fragile developing states? Develop your assessment using one of more country case studies.
Examine and assess national strategies for mitigating the extent to which natural resource wealth increases fragility in developing countries. Further develop your analysis through examining one or more cases of developing countries where there have been major discoveries of such natural resource wealth since the mid-1990s (ie not before).
Analyse the factors causing high levels of armed violence in a fragile country of your choice which is not experiencing civil war; and examine issues and priorities that need to be taken into account in measures designed to reduce such violence.

These questions draw upon learning from across the whole PES7048-B module.

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Guidance on essay writing

Take care to directly address the full essay question as asked. If there is more than one part of the essay question, take care to address all elements of the question. Although we welcome appropriate use of evidence from empirical examples and case studies, take care not to try to answer a generic question by focussing solely on a single country or case study.

The above guidance is really important. Essays that provide lots of interesting and potentially relevant contextual discussion but which do not directly address the key issues raised by the question risk being failed. Essays that systematically and directly engage with the question in a way that demonstrates you have properly understood the question, and have critically engaged with the relevant debates and evidence, are likely to receive a relatively good mark even if there are some problems with quality of expression and such like.

It is expected that essays will include discussion of the directly relevant concepts and debates that have been raised in the module’s lectures, seminars and lecture notes. More marks will be given for those essays that engage appropriately with the debates raised in class, and marks will be deducted from those which do not take into account such debates where relevant. Make sure to apply these debates to any case study.

We recommend that you develop a clear analytical structure for your essay before you write a full draft, in order to help to ensure that you systematically address the question. We (the Module Tutors) are happy to comment on draft essay outlines on request.

Please note that plagiarism and the usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become highly problematic in the last year or so. Last year, a number of students were submitted for Academic Misconduct and found to be in breach, thus being excluded or having to resubmit with a cap on the mark between 0 and 40%. The advice is simple: DO NOT COPY from other sources or AI.

Also be careful of software that promises to make your essay better. This may be construed as AI-related plagiarism. We do not expect note-perfect grammar. Marks are given for engagement with the topic and sources, clarity of the debate, and coherent structure, rather than grammatical precision.

Grading

All essays need to demonstrate substantial research and reflection, and also critical awareness and engagement with relevant issues and debates discussed in the teaching sessions for the module.

To achieve 40-47% students must present a basic argument/analysis, which uses an appropriate number of academic sources, and which is comprehensibly written and most sources correctly referenced.
To achieve 48-57% students must present a coherent and focussed argument/analysis, which uses a good number of academic sources, and which is comprehensibly written and meets standard scholarly standards.
To achieve 58-67% students must present a coherent, focussed and convincing argument/analysis which uses a wide range of academic sources, and which is well written and meets or exceeds standard scholarly standards.
To achieve 68+% students must present a coherent, highly focussed, strong and persuasive argument/analysis which uses an excellent range of academic sources, and which is well written, edited and refined, and exceeds standard scholarly standards.

Assessment criteria and expectations will be communicated to students in dedicated sessions for assessment guidance, written guidance, and office hours.

The referencing style used at Bradford University is Harvard. You can find guidance on referencing here: Referencing and Plagiarism – Help – University of Bradford

Please use Arial font, size 12. Text should be double-spaced.

Submission of the essay will be via Canvas. A submission link will be set up within the Assessment folder. Your essay should be submitted as a Word document.

Work that is over the stated word length will attract a penalty in proportion to the additional words (e.g. 5%)

All submissions are checked by Turnitin plagiarism detection software. A separate link in Canvas allows you to review your essay prior to submission. Please note that there is no permitted Turnitin score percentage. You should focus on ensuring your essay meets the university guidelines for referencing and academic integrity: What is plagiarism? – Find out about – University of Bradford

If you have any questions about this assignment, please speak with your module leader in good time before the deadline.

Please ensure you allow enough time for completing your work. Avoid submitting it very close to the deadline in case of technical issues (e.g. broken Wi-Fi). It is your responsibility to ensure you submit the correct file and on time.