SD3S112 - Geopolitics: Conflict, War and Peace 01 Sep 2024 - 31 Aug 2030 | Version 0

Associated Module Information

Module Code: SD3S112
Module Title: Geopolitics: Conflict, War and Peace
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Leadership and Public Services
Faculty Sub Group: Leadership and Public Services
Module Leader: Mohammad Kabir
Module Team: Wendy Booth, David Phillips, Paul Lewis
First Intended Intake: SEP 2024 Final Year of Intake: 2029
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100823 - emergency and disaster management
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 0
Valid From 01 Sep 2024
Valid To 31 Aug 2030

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to demonstrate an understanding of conflict and war, and its social effects through the process of social construction and narratives of conflict and war. This will also exhibit an understanding of current sources of conflict in the world and how they might be resolved. 

The objectives of the module are to:  

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the social production of conflict and war and its social effects.  

3. Develop and apply social theory to the issues raised in this module. 

2. Analyse current sources of conflict in the world and how they might be resolved. 

Content Summary

The module examines intra-group and inter-group conflict from historical and contemporary social perspectives. Themes include the nature of interpersonal conflict in societies and sociological explanations for its presence or absence, the historical development of warfare and other forms of mass killings, including total war, genocide and class war. The participation of men, women and children as combatants in war and the effect of war and genocide on non-combatants and civilian populations are examined as is the phenomenon of genocide denial. We then move to a consideration of the background of modern world politics as a linked process, including the Cold War, the arms trade, the 'New World Order' and the 'War on Terrorism'. The module concludes by exploring efforts to build peace and restore justice, including the peace movement, prosecution of war criminals and conflict resolution. Case studies and extensive use of audio-visual materials will be used throughout 

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 20
Seminars 20
Independent Study 88
Directed Study (Including online independent learning) 72
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of the social production of conflict and war and its social effects.
LO2 Analyse some current sources of conflict in the world and how they might be resolved.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Essay 1 A standard essay 0 2000 50 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Essay 2 A standard essay 0 2000 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Essay 1
Essay 2

Reading List

Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, eds.?The globalization of world politics: An introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press, 2017, chapter, 6 

Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, eds.?The globalization of world politics: An introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press, 2017, chapter 6 

Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, eds. The globalization of world politics: An introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press, 2017, chapter 3. 

Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, eds. The globalization of world politics: An introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press, 2017, chapter 3. 

Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, eds.?The globalization of world politics: An introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press, 2017, chapter 8. 

Gray, Colin S. War, peace and international relations: an introduction to strategic history. Routledge, 2013, chapter 4 

Heywood, Andrew.?Global politics. Macmillan International Higher Education, 2014, chapter 10 

Keen, David. Complex emergencies. Polity, 2008 

Keynoush, Banafsheh.?Saudi Arabia and Iran: Friends Or Foes?. Springer, 2016, chapters 2 & 3. 

Konyukhovskiy, Pavel V., and Theocharis Grigoriadis. Proxy wars. No. 2018/4. Diskussionsbeiträge, 2018. 

Ruane, Kevin, ed. The Vietnam Wars. Manchester University Press, 2000, chapters 5 & 6 

Rosamond, Ben. \"Three ways of speaking Europe to the world: Markets, peace, cosmopolitan duty and the EU's normative power.\" The British Journal of Politics and International Relations 16.1 (2014): 133-148.