PIR-30118 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

Policing is an international activity As a key component of post-Cold War liberal strategies, police reform became central to international projects that aimed to transform weak states into apolitical rule of law zones governed through security practices. From having a marginal role in UN peacekeeping operations, policing very quickly established itself as an indispensable aspect of international security.This role was further enhanced in the wake of terrorist attacks on New York, London, Madrid and Bali. Together with NGOs and state development agencies, the UN, the EU and the OSCE have been instrumental in the resultant internationalization and militarization of the police in the international realm. This module draws upon criminology, history, international relations and political philosophy in order to explore the causes and consequences of this development and to assess its impact on post-conflict societies.

To explore the origins, development and current application of policing as a tool in post-conflict development.
To investigate the reasons behind the use of policing in the international sphere
To equip students with the requisite skills and knowledge to critically analyse key developments in peace-building and peacekeeping
To introduce and develop the students appreciation of and ability to use interdisciplinary perspectives in their study and understanding of international relations.
To enable students to develop teamwork skills
To enable students to improve their oral and written communication skills and gain experience in group discussion
To develop students research skills through organising data, and subsequently identifying, anaylsing and proposing solutions to problems.

Intended Learning Outcomes

interpret and assess the growing theoretical literature related to the use of security actors in post-conflict development; will be achieved by assessments: 1,2,,
evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using domestic police officers in post-conflict peacekeeping and peacebuilding; will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2,
apply appropriate theoretical frameworks and conceptual tools to case histories of existing post-conflict dilemmas and present findings in oral and written formats; will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2
persuasively communicate current debates and identify new areas of research in relation to contemporary approaches to maintaining international peace and security; will be achieved by assessments: 1,2
effectively engage in group discussions with their peers and orally communicate their knowledge and opinions to peers. will be achieved by assessments: 2

Study hours

10 hours attendance at lectures
10 hours attendance at seminars
30 hours preparation for plenary sessions
70 hours preparation for research essay
30 hours research and preparation for the individual oral presentation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment