ATS2298 · Understanding political violence

Overview

This unit will provide you with an overview of contemporary types of political violence, including terrorism, guerrilla warfare, insurgency, revolution, and related forms of violence. You will examine the different ways in which political violence manifests and addresses the questions of motivations for engaging in political violence at both the individual and collective levels. Through case studies, you will examine ways of understanding different forms of political violence in terms of authority and legitimacy, including considering how such types of violence may be considered as both challenges or (perceived) solutions to these concepts. In doing so, the unit will provide you with cultural, economic and political explanations as well as conceptual debates in the field and different strategies for dealing with the threats posed by forms of political violence.

Areas of study: International relations

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. analyse the cultural, economic, social and religious circumstances that lie behind the spread of politically motivated violence;
2. compare how types of politically motivated violence can challenge established domestic and international political norms, particularly in terms of authority and legitimacy;
3. evaluate different types of militant actors (for example, terrorists, insurgents, cartels) and how they impact distinctly upon national and international security;
4. compare and critically evaluate a range of case-based examples of terrorist and other forms of political violence to effectively communicate insights in academic and professional written formats.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.