IR3045 Violence in Deeply-Divided Societies

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 9

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

Thursday 2pm

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr T K Wilson

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Tim Wilson

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

Bloodshed is what tends to keep divided societies in the headlines: yet the nature of this violence often remains under-examined as a political force in its own right. This module seeks to explain what drives processes of violence in deeply divided societies with particular emphasis on what happens at the grassroots and between communities. The module combines theory with in-depth consideration of case studies from across the world (in previous years this has included Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia, Iraq and Lebanon) to understand what causes conflict, how conflict is resolved and whether deep societal divisions can be healed.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS IR2006

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

3-hour Written Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 x 1-hour lecture (x 10 weeks), 1 x 1-hour tutorial (x 10 weeks), 2 consultation hours with Coordinator (x 12 weeks).

Scheduled learning hours

22

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

278

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understanding of the recurrent and (often) intractable nature of political violence in deeply divided societies.
  • Understanding of the challenges facing both top-down and bottom-up attempts to build peace in deeply divided societies.
  • Understanding of the current state of theoretical debate about how communal identities and conflict dynamics may or may not be inter-related.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the conflicts in Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia and Sri Lanka.