IR2202 Taking the Long View of Lone Assassins and Terrorists, 1580 to the Present Day

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Flexible study

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

5

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 8

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.

Availability restrictions

This module is not open to students matriculated on a University degree programme.

Planned timetable

N/A

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

Module coordinator

Dr T K Wilson

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 Timothy Wilson

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

Module description

This module focuses on some well-documented individual case studies that help students explore lone actor violence. It does so by considering both the attacker’s own thought-world: and what sense contemporaries made of their surprising and violent intervention into political life. But from this close up focus, it will also step back to consider much wider questions : What is the relationship of lone attackers to wider society? How did this phenomenon spread from Europe to become global? What role does ‘toxic masculinity’ play in creating lone attackers? And how have communications improvements encouraged them? These topics are given further thought to help students understand the lone attacker phenomenon and its historical development.

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

N/A

Scheduled learning hours

0

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

Guided independent study hours

51

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

Intended learning outcomes

  • Critically assess the concept of the ‘Lone Wolf’ as applied to assassins and terrorists
  • Understand the key insights of social psychology on forces driving individual radicalisation
  • Explain, through case study examples, how individuals become lone wolves
  • Identify the historical macro-conditions that encourage the proliferation of lone actor attackers
  • Understand why so few women become lone wolves: and the role of toxic masculinity as one driver of lone actor terrorism
  • Explain the role of extreme ideologies in motivating attackers

IR2202 Taking the Long View of Lone Assassins and Terrorists, 1580 to the Present Day

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Full Year

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

5

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 8

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.

Availability restrictions

This module is not open to students matriculated on a University degree programme.

Planned timetable

N/A

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

Module coordinator

Dr T K Wilson

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 Timothy Wilson

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

Module description

This module focuses on some well-documented individual case studies that help students explore lone actor violence. It does so by considering both the attacker’s own thought-world: and what sense contemporaries made of their surprising and violent intervention into political life. But from this close up focus, it will also step back to consider much wider questions : What is the relationship of lone attackers to wider society? How did this phenomenon spread from Europe to become global? What role does ‘toxic masculinity’ play in creating lone attackers? And how have communications improvements encouraged them? These topics are given further thought to help students understand the lone attacker phenomenon and its historical development.

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

N/A

Scheduled learning hours

0

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

Guided independent study hours

51

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

Intended learning outcomes

  • Critically assess the concept of the ‘Lone Wolf’ as applied to assassins and terrorists
  • Understand the key insights of social psychology on forces driving individual radicalisation
  • Explain, through case study examples, how individuals become lone wolves
  • Identify the historical macro-conditions that encourage the proliferation of lone actor attackers
  • Understand why so few women become lone wolves: and the role of toxic masculinity as one driver of lone actor terrorism
  • Explain the role of extreme ideologies in motivating attackers