2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
PIED3505 Dirty War: Insurgency, the State and Cities
20 creditsClass Size: 78
Module manager: Professor Alice Hills
Email: A.E.Hills@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2008/09
This module is approved as an Elective
Module summary
This module provides a critical understanding of contemporary counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism in cities. The causes of insurgency will be addressed, but the module will focus on the political and doctrinal rationales, challenges, and trends associated with counter-insurgency in urban areas. The ethical and operational challenges will be identified and discussed. These issues will then be explored through a series of case studies and case instances based on significant and influential operations by conventional forces in cities such as Algiers, Grozny and Baghdad. For further information see the School of Politics and International Studies website. If you cannot find the answer to your question then email A.E.Hills@leeds.ac.ukObjectives
This module will provide a theoretical and empirical exploration of counter-insurgency in contemporary cities.Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate a theoretical understanding of conflict in an urbanising and globalising world
- Demonstrate an historical and conceptual understanding of state responses to insurgency
- Demonstrate critical understanding of different conceptualisations and empirical forms of resistance
- Demonstrate an ability to analyse academic debates concerning contemporary conflict
Skills outcomes
- Use reading lists, the library and, where relevant, the internet, to locate relevant material, including finding additional material beyond that specified in the module outline
- Note taking from lectures and desk research
- Contribute to group discussions in seminars
- Give coherent oral presentations in seminars
- Plan, write, and reference essays and bibliographies
Syllabus
1. Contemporary urban environment (e.g. urbanisation, demographic shifts, alienation)
2. Theory and practice of concepts such as security, order, control, resistance, rights, insurgency and terrorism
3. Overview of significant trends, national perspectives and influential doctrinal developments
4. Introduction to major issues, challenges and strategists, to be explored through a series of case studies
5. Case study 1: Policing by militaries, the use of torture, Trinquier (Algiers)
6. Reading week
7. Case study 2: Politics as a continuation of war, dirty war, Gramajo (Guatemala City)
8. Case study 3: Internal policing operations, Kulikov (Grozny)
9. Case study 4: Terrorist sanctuaries, US operations, Petraeus (Baghdad)
10. Revised techniques and doctrine (e.g. Kilcullen)
11. Change, continuities, future trends and their analytical implications.
Teaching methods
Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
Lecture | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
Seminar | 10 | 1.00 | 10.00 |
Private study hours | 180.00 | ||
Total Contact hours | 20.00 | ||
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 |
Private study
Students are required to read the core and additional publications listed in the module bibliography in preparation for seminar discussions, presentations and essays. This requires careful and reflective reading, note taking, summarising, preparation for class discussion, and developing a sense of a field of literature in addition to engagement with individual readings. Also, students are encouraged to use their initiative and skills of discernment in finding additional relevant material.Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Student's progress will be monitored on a weekly basis by means of:- Student contributions to class discussion, which will be monitored throughout the course, though not assessed
- Essay planning will be monitored through submission of a mid-term essay plan and bibliography
- Opportunities for individual discussions outside seminar times
Methods of assessment
Coursework
Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
Essay | 1 x 6,000 words | 100.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 03/04/2009
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