PO3DCW-Dynamics of Civil Wars

Module Provider: School of Politics, Economics and International Relations
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2022/3

Module Convenor: Dr Vladimir Rauta
Email: v.rauta@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Civil war is the dominant form of political violence in the contemporary world. The module discusses dynamics of political violence in civil wars. It presents students with a theoretical and empirical analysis of key problems in civil wars such as participation, recruitment, organisation, external support, rebel diplomacy and rebel governance (topics subject to minor change). The module will require students to engage with theoretical works and empirical case studies of modern and contemporary conflicts. This will allow students to come away with a clearer sense of the depth and breadth of how political violence is employed in civil war and think about these critical phenomena in a more nuanced way. 

Aims:

• To provide participants with the intellectual tools to understand and analyse political violence in civil wars beyond the issue of causes


• To provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the most salient civil conflicts in recent and contemporary history.


• To enable students to articulate and formulate arguments on key political violence related phenomena by comparing and contrasting different theories and methodologies.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module, students will have

• Acquired a broad knowledge of the concepts, theoretical traditions, and debates in the contemporary study of civil war.


• Cultivated the critical skills, awareness, and understanding necessary to recognize, evaluate, and explain current and future developments in civil wars.


• Developed research, analytical, and writing skills through assignments and papers.

Additional outcomes:

The module also aims to develop critical and reflective thinking, effective and independent use of a variety of sources, coherent and rigorous written and oral argumentation, and the ability to work with and learn from others

Outline content:

Civil war is the dominant form of political violence in the contemporary world. The module discusses dynamics of political violence in civil wars. It presents students with a theoretical and empirical analysis of key problems in civil wars such as participation, recruitment, organisation, external support, rebel diplomacy and rebel governance (topics subject to minor change). The module will require students to engage with theoretical works and empirical case studies of modern and contemporary conflicts. This will allow students to come away with a clearer sense of the depth and breadth of how political violence is employed in civil war and think about these critical phenomena in a more nuanced way.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Classes will consist of two hour-long workshop-style research seminars. There will be no lectures, and the module convenor will not substitute class activities with lecture components. There will be 10 sessions in autumn. The emphasis will be on student-focused activities (discussions, simulations, and small-group exercises) requiring pre-seminar research. For the seminars, all students are required to do preparatory reading and/or student presentations, followed by group discussion. The teac hing will combine traditional and non-traditional teaching techniques.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Seminars	20
Guided independent study:
Wider reading (independent)	40
Wider reading (directed)	50
Preparation for seminars	55
Essay preparation	35
Total hours by term		0	0
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	60
Report	40

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Assessment Type	Weight	Length
Report	40%	2500 words
Essay	60%	3500 words

Formative assessment methods:

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

40%

Reassessment arrangements:

Failed or missing coursework should be re-submitted on Blackboard within the specified resubmission period.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Last updated: 22 September 2022