DEPARTMENT OF PEACE STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
| Module Title | Terrorism and Political Violence |
| Module Code | PES7053-B |
| FHEQ Level | FHEQ Level 7 |
| Terrorism and Political Violence | |
| Assessment: | One essay of up to 3,400 – 3,600 words |
| (100% of total module marks) | |
| Write an essay of no more than 3,400- 3,600 words on ONE of the following – Topics: | |
| Week 1 – Introduction
Dr. Tom Pettinger and Dr. Simon Whitby |
Explore the usage of the term “terrorism” in academic and policy- making circles. Can political violence
that is not officially sanctioned by a government ever be justified? |
| Week 2 – From Empire to Terror – Simon Whitby | Present a critical analysis of the extent to which religion causes violent terrorism? Answer this question in relation to a case study drawing from concepts and perspectives from the module?
Or Provide a critical analysis of the assertion the violent Jihadism stems solely from a reaction to Western foreign policies in Muslim regions? |
| Week 3 – New Terrorism
Dr Simon Whitby |
Critique the characterization of post- 9/11 terrorism as ‘new’. |
| Week 4 – Cyber Terrorism
Dr. Simon Whitby |
Can the beneficent advantages of cyber space be reconciled with the Terrorist opportunities that ICT (Information Communication Technologies) and the Internet present? Discuss with reference to the use of cyber-space by States and Sub- State Groups. |
| Week 5 – Reading Week | |
| Week 6 – Terrorism and the Conflict in Gaza
Prof Paul Rogers |
Critically review the ‘war on terror’. To what degree has the effort to combat international terrorism been unsuccessful? |
| Week 7 – Terrorism and International Relations Discourse
Dr. Simon Whitby |
Critically examine Steve Smith’s argument that the motivations behind the September 11 attacks and the subsequent conflict do not align with the traditional realist perspective on
security. |
| Week 8 – Regional Terrorism and Civil Conflicts
Dr Colins Imoh |
Critically analyse rise of Salafi-Jihadi Terrorist Groups (Boko Haram and Al Shabab) in Sub-Saharan Africa and effectiveness of responses by States to
the emergence of such groups. |
| Week 9 : Religion and Violence Dr. Sudhir Selvaraj | To what extent does religion cause violence? Answer this question in relation to a case study and drawing from concepts and perspectives from the module? |
| Week 10 – Northern Ireland Dr Tom Pettinger | Is State violence or non-State violence primarily response for ‘the Troubles’? |
| Week 11 – CBW Terrorism
Dr. Simon Whitby |
Present a critical analysis of CBW Terrorism and analyse how and in what ways the open availability of biology (biotechnology) and chemistry |
| can be reconciled with the potential for their misuse by sub-state groups. | |
| Week 12 – Review Dr. Simon Whitby |
