2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

PIED5598M Civil War and Intrastate Conflict

30 creditsClass Size: 20

Module manager: Professor Edward Newman
Email: E.Newman@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module explores the nature, causes and impact of civil war and intrastate armed conflict in the 21st century. The emphasis will be upon the political, social, and institutional factors that are relevant to this violence, and broader patterns of armed conflict – including possible future conflict patterns. The module will consider the methodologies of understanding and framing intrastate violence, focussing upon the tensions between mainstream empirical approaches and the ‘critical’ challenge to this. The module will also explore debates about so-called ‘state failure’ and ‘new wars’, and the changing nature of armed conflict. These debates will be illustrated throughout the module with reference to a wide range of contemporary cases, including Liberia, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and the rise of the ‘Islamic State’. The module will conclude by considering international efforts to prevent, manage, contain and resolve intrastate armed conflict.

Objectives

The module will support learning around the following questions: (1) How are civil wars and intrastate armed conflict defined, understood and measured?; (2) How are factors such as ethnicity, weak state capacity, poverty and horizontal inequalities, political exclusion and transition, natural resources, environmental change, globalization, and food price rises relevant to the onset of instability and conflict?; (3) Is armed conflict changing in nature in historical perspective? What does the ‘New Wars’ idea bring to our understanding of contemporary armed conflict? Do new technologies – including social media – change the nature of upheaval? Is the distinction between civil war, ‘state failure’, communal violence and criminality increasingly blurred?- Despite major recent armed conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – amongst many others – why have many analysts argued that all types of organized violence, including civil wars, have been in decline in historical perspective?- Does the ‘failed state’ concept provide an overarching narrative for armed conflict in the 21st Century?- Are international approaches aimed at containing, managing and resolving armed conflict appropriate and effective for the 21st Century?

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of armed conflict and civil war, based upon the theoretical literature and illustrated with reference to contemporary cases.
2. Identify, discuss and explain key scientific and theoretical debates about the causes, nature and impact of intrastate armed conflict.
3. Explain the methodological challenges of understanding and analyzing such conflict.
4. Engage with international policy debates relevant to preventing and containing armed conflict and building peace after major violence.

Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Identify and analyse relevant information in order to develop and defend informed arguments.
2. Plan and develop an independent piece of written research, such as through essays and literature reviews.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	11	1.00	11.00
Private study hours			278.00
Total Contact hours			22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Towards the end of the teaching term, students will be encouraged to submit an essay plan or draft for feedback. This will not be formally assessed. This formative feedback will be designed to inform students how they can strengthen their work, and - if necessary - address any problems or weaknesses. As long as this is submitted by the end of week 11 and commented on promptly, the feedback would be available for students at least 5 weeks before the deadline for their assignment.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Coursework	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 website

Last updated: 12/09/2024

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