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Unit of study_

GOVT2225: International Security in 21st Century

This unit introduces the theoretical foundations, essential concepts and central issues in the field of international security. It provides students with analytical tools to understand and participate in current debates concerning security and threats. The first part of the unit provides an introduction to the theoretical interpretations of international security. The second part discusses security phenomena, problems and strategies, including the coercive use of force, deterrence, guerrilla and counterinsurgency, nuclear stability, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, crisis management, arms races and disarmament, security cooperation and security regimes. The discussion in this part includes a critical review of the dilemmas, strategies, and solutions in each of the issue areas.

Code GOVT2225
Academic unit Government and International Relations
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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12 credit points at 1000 level in Politics or 12 credit points at 1000 level in International Relations or 12 credit points at 1000 level in Government and International Relations
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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GOVT2205

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand additional building blocks in the sub-field: specialized professional concepts, specific theories and methods prevalent in the field of international security
  • LO2. demonstrate independent reading skills with enhanced capacity for criticism, integration and association of readings to broader debates and discussions in the field
  • LO3. apply the acquired concepts and theories to the analysis of past and contemporary problems, issues and events in international security
  • LO4. engage in research of both theoretical and empirical nature
  • LO5. produce oral explanations that employ concepts and theories in order to account for current and past events
  • LO6. demonstrate professional writing skills including proper presentation and application of arguments backed by references and bibliographical list
  • LO7. demonstrate the ability to work within small groups in order to debate and produce arguments, explanations and empirical tests for theoretical arguments
  • LO8. understand key concepts and theories in the field of study and associate them with paradigms and key scholars
  • LO9. analyse theory and developing events in a critical manner
  • LO10. access, organise and communicate knowledge in both written and oral English.

Unit outlines

Unit outlines will be available 2 weeks before the first day of teaching for the relevant session.

There are no unit outlines available online for the current year.