| CODE | IRL2013 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Political Economy of War | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | International Relations | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit focuses on the intersection between economics and organised violence. It aims to provide students with an introductory yet comprehensive understanding of how economic factors shape (inter-state and intra-state) armed conflicts. While wars have been seen as a “continuation of politics by other means” (v. Clausewitz), they also-and increasingly—have important economic dimensions, including economic causes, motivations, strategies and consequences. Major themes addressed by this unit include the theoretical paradigms on the relationship between war and the economy (such as Mercantilism, Marxism and Liberalism), the relationship between war and the economy in the state-building process (in Europe) and inter-state rivalries, the notion of a 'war economy', the economic agendas in civil wars, the 'security-development nexus', the role of natural resources in wars, the costs of armed conflicts, and economic forms of warfare. Using a number of case studies, both contemporary and past, the study unit will: - Provide an overview of the economic dimensions of wars; - Examine the various facets of 'war economies' in (pasts and contemporary) armed conflicts; - Examine the relationships between security and development; - Discuss the role of natural resources (such as oil) in armed conflicts; - Discuss the use of economic tools (such as sanctions) in wars; - Examine the economic costs and consequences of armed conflicts; - Examine the implications of contemporary war economies for conflict resolution and peace-building. Study-unit Aims: - To give students a good understanding of the relevance and nature of economic factors in armed conflicts and conflict resolution; - To cover important theoretical paradigms and concepts relevant to the study of the political economy of war; - To engage students in a discussion and analysis of case studies of past and current armed conflicts and their economic dimensions. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyse the ways in which armed conflicts are shaped by economic factors , and how these might relate to other (political or strategic) factors; - Describe and apply the main theoretical paradigms and concepts relevant to the study of the political economy of war; - Analyse the relationship between security and development; - Analyse the potential role of natural resources in wars; - Appreciate the economic costs and consequences of armed conflicts; - Appreciate the implications of contemporary war economies for conflict resolution and peace-building. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Discuss the main aspects of the relationship between war and the economy; - Write in a nuanced and informed manner about the economic and financial dimensions of armed conflicts. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
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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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