2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

SLSP3230 Global Terrorism and Violence

20 creditsClass Size: 100

Module manager: Professor Paul Bagguley
Email: P.Bagguley@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is mutually exclusive with

PIED3565

Terrorism: Concepts, Debates, Cases

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module is concerned with the sociological analysis of political violence in the 20th and 21st century. The module will introduce students to the current theoretical debates and primary analytical perspectives in the study of political violence and terrorism. These will be illustrated and explored through historical and comparative examples from Western Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

Objectives

- To introduce students to the study of terrorism and political violence historically as well as the contemporary world.
- To investigate the formation of the War on Terror and its role in becoming at the forefront of the debate on security and international conflict for academics, policymakers, and popular debate.
- To assess the nature, evolution, causes and normative justifications of political violence and what is called terrorism.
- To investigate how terrorism has emerged as a global phenomenon.

Learning outcomes
Demonstrate a sociological understanding of the terrorism, its history, its relationship to racialisation and trends over time.
- Assess how terrorism varies among different ethnic and racialized groups and across countries.
- Demonstrate an understanding of sociological theories and arguments in the field of terrorism studies, especially those that relate to ethnicity and processes of racialisation.
- Demonstrate an understanding of key sociological concepts relating to politically motivated violence.
- Apply these theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of terrorism in a selected case study.

Syllabus

History of terrorism and the definition debate
The politics and strategies of terrorism
Theoretical explanations of terrorism
Technologies and tactics of terrorist groups – suicide terrorism, social media and terrorism.
The debate over radicalization – Contemporary Radical Islam
Terrorist Groups - The structure and dynamics of global terrorist groups/terror group operations.
Northern Ireland Conflict
Urban Terror in Western Europe
The emergence of Al Quaeda, global terror networks
Arab – Israeli conflict
Terrorism in the Middle East - ISIL
Terrorism in Latin America

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
On-line Learning	11	1.00	11.00
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Tutorial	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			168.00
Total Contact hours			32.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

The assessment will consist of a critical review and an essay. In producing the critical review the student will demonstrate their ability to research a wide range of materials and to reach independent conclusions about key questions in the subject. In producing the longer second essay the students will present a case study on a particular example terrorism. As a result students will be able to develop and build upon their knowledge of the field through the process of assessment.
Preparation for Tutorials will involve students reading 2-4 key texts.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Performance in tutorials in terms of discussion and contribution.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	Critical Review 1,000 words	25.00
Case Study	3,000 words	75.00
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: 19/09/2024

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