International Security and Terrorism

You will research and write a substantive dissertation within the field of international relations/studies. The dissertation must be 12,000 words.

This module covers:

1. Methods and methodology – the logic of qualitative and quantitative research
2. Theory, metatheory and methodology – how they relate to each other
3. Quantitative data collection – surveys and polls
4. Quantitative data analysis – basic statistical analysis
5. Qualitative data collection – interviews and documents
6. Qualitative data analysis - process tracing, thematic analysis, discourse analysis
7. Mixed methodology – pros and cons
8. Primary and secondary sources – how to use the library
9. Research questions, design and ethics – practical considerations of research 
10. Academic skills – how to write a literature review and how to plan a dissertation

The War on Iraq and the US and British invasion of the country in 2003 has led to huge tensions in geopolitics. At the same time, the supposed 'threat' of international terrorism and continuing financial turmoil in the world economy have both brought to the fore the global politics of co-operation and confrontation.

Whilst it might be possible to agree on the significance of these events, the explanation and/or understanding of them is dependent on prior theoretical choices. The purpose of this module is to make you aware of the diversity of approaches to international theory.

Within international relations theory there exist highly divergent interpretations and applications of key concepts (for example, power, the state, agency, structure, and world order) as well as contested views about the practical purpose underpinning theories of world politics. The overall aim of the module is to provide you with a solid theoretical and conceptual grounding of this diversity. As a result, it will be possible to recognise not only how international theory informs policy-making and practice but also, perhaps, how truly contested the underlying assumptions of world politics are.

The invention of the aircraft fundamentally changed the ways in which wars are fought and won. Over the course of only a century airpower developed into an indispensable instrument of warfare.

Today, war without airpower is an unlikely prospect and major military operations in recent decades have often been launched with overwhelming air attacks. In line with the understanding that the character of war is changing, however, the utility of ‘strategic’ airpower has increasingly come under question. Whilst technological innovation continues to strengthen airpower’s capabilities, air superiority has not always given the technologically superior side in a conflict the edge over opponents.

This module critically assesses the role of air power in modern conflict within the broader framework of strategic and security studies. It will assess the evolution of air power theor