| CODE | IRL2002 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Security Studies | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | International Relations | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will introduce students to the role of security studies within contemporary International Relations. In order to do so an understanding of the varying theoretical approaches to security studies is essential. A review of Realist, Liberalist and Constructivist approaches to security analysis will therefore be undertaken. The unit will go on to review the security concepts and issues that riddle contemporary international relations. These will include traditional security issues such as contemporary warfare, insurgency, terrorism and intervention, together with an analysis of new or “soft security issues, such as human security, environmental and health security, as well as energy and cyber security. In this way, students will be able to appreciate the changes and continuities that are taking place in the international security agenda, which ultimately have a bearing on the national security considerations of individual states. The unit will then go on to analyse the role that multilateralism and international institutions have played in order to deal with security issues collectively. Study-unit Aims: The objective of this unit is to introduce students to Security studies, particularly to the theoretical debates surrounding security, the security issues that affect the International Community, as well as to familiarise students to regional concerns and international Security architecture. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - identify and discuss the varying theoretical approaches to the analysis of contemporary security concerns; - distinguish between traditional security concerns and new security issues. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - analyse the threats and challenges within contemporary international relations. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Alan Collins (Ed.) Contemporary Security Studies 4th Ed. (Oxford University Press, 2013). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Lucy Paterson |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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