One Term 1 level 4 Politics and International Relations course from the Politics and International Relations:
Plus one Term 2 level 4 Politics and International Relations course from the Politics and International Relations
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Dissertation (IR4031)
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30 Credit Points
This course affords students the opportunity to apply their knowledge/research skills in the field of Politics & International Relations to an individual piece of research, focusing on a topic selected by the student and approved by the Dissertation supervisor. Over the course of the project, with guidance from a supervising member of staff, the student will conduct a literature review of relevant material, select appropriate research methods, gather data where necessary, analyse data, and write a final analysis in the form of the Dissertation. Particular emphasis will be given to helping students develop their own skills.
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History in Practice (HI4518)
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30 Credit Points
History is not simply a dry, academic study of the past; it shapes a host of contemporary political, economic and cultural attitudes and is a central underpinning to the tourist and heritage industries - now one of the largest sectors of employment among mature western economies. This course is designed to give a critical understanding of the theoretical and practical links (as well as clear distinctions) between the practice of 'academic' History and 'public' History. This is done by having students assess how heritage and tourist businesses project a particular version of the past.
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Undergraduate Dissertation in History (HI4516)
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30 Credit Points
The undergraduate dissertation is the final-year major research undertaking, based on primary and secondary material and providing a critical analysis of a specific subject chosen by the student. It is obligatory for Single Honours students, whereas Joint Honours students choose to write their dissertation in either of the two subjects. After initial sessions about the nature of the dissertation and research approaches, students develop a topic with the help of a member of staff, who will also supervise their project throughout.
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Special Subject: Hitler (HI4008)
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30 Credit Points
Hitler is omnipresent in modern life. He appears everywhere in the media and he is invoked all the time in public and private discourse. Yet Adolf Hitler remains an enigma. While he tends to be reduced to a one-dimensional cardboard cut out villain outside of academia, inside academia there has been a tendency in recent years to diminish Hitler’s importance and to push Hitler to the sidelines.
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Spec Sub: Court Society in Late Medieval Europe (C. 1300 – C. 1500) (HI401G)
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30 Credit Points
The courts of kings and other rulers in the later middle ages (c. 1300 – c. 1500), in which they and their households lived and hosted their subjects as well as visitors from other lands, have been characterised by scholars as both a grand stage for a dying chivalric culture and a creator of conditions for the modern state. This course addresses this apparent paradox and examines the many facets of this phenomenon, using the Scottish royal court as its starting point but also making use of evidence from around Europe. It draws on theories and methods from a range of academic disciplines including sociology, anthropology, art history and literature. Topics include the household, the palace, the competition for status amongst elites at court and the court as a stage for presenting political messages. Students taking the course will emerge with a detailed understanding of the court and the different forms it took and a view on how it shaped the broader history of Europe.
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Spec Subject: European Constitutional Monarchies in the Long 19c (HI4023)
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30 Credit Points
On the eve of the First World War Europe was a continent of monarchies. A long 19th century of revolutions, wars, growing literacy, an expanding public sphere, changes in social, economic, intellectual and technological life and imperial expansion lay behind them, but the continent’s monarchical systems had survived in surprisingly rude health. That monarchies had flourished throughout these profound transformations points to their suppleness and ingenuity. This course offers new perspectives on the political cultures of the states and societies of 19th-century Europe.
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Special Subject: History of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict (HI4025)
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30 Credit Points
The course examines the origins of the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and its developments from multiple angles in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamic that constitutes ‘the conflict’. The course will investigate the causes of the Palestinian refugee crisis and of the Arab-Israeli wars. It will introduce students to the Arab-Israeli peace process and familiarise students with the polarised historiography surrounding the Arab-Israeli conflict.
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Special Subject: Myths of the North (HI4026)
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30 Credit Points
This course critically evaluates representations and functions of Old Norse myth and legend in both medieval and modern contexts. It will enable students to better understand the myths, beliefs and stories of Viking and medieval Scandinavia in their own historical contexts, and to analyse the political and cultural implications of their endurance, significance and popularity into the modern world.
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War and Peace in International Politics (IR4036)
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30 Credit Points
The course aims to provide students with an understanding of how conflict between ethno-national groups impacts on international politics. It explores the responses of the international community to intra-state conflict. Following an initial exploration of the relevant theories, the course focuses on a number of key conflicts in international politics. What explains violent conflict between ethnic groups? What role do external actors play in peace processes? Should the international community intervene to stop violent conflict? What kind of institutional frameworks do external actors promote in post-conflict states?
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International Political Psychology (PI4086)
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30 Credit Points
This course investigates issues at the intersection of psychology and international politics, studying both the psychological causes and consequences of international relations. In addition to familiarising students with core concepts and methods of international political psychology, it develops their skills in analysing factors such as personality, beliefs, perception, emotions, trust, empathy, status, reputation, and social identity.
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US Presidents (PI4090)
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30 Credit Points
The President of the United States of America is commonly seen as the ‘Leader of the Free World’, US elections routinely capture the imagination of the rest of the world and the outcome influences politics far beyond the borders of the USA. Only 45 men have held this position since 1789 – but who are they, what drove their ambition, what were their strengths and weaknesses, their achievements and failures? This course analyses the impact of the individuals in the office of the president.
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Soviet and Post - Soviet Russian Foreign Policy (PI4093)
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30 Credit Points
This course examines contemporary Russian Foreign Policy through the historical framework of Soviet foreign relations. International, domestic, cultural and ideological factors will be examined throughout the course. This will provide an understanding of a wide range of issues that have affected Moscow’s foreign policy decision making in both the recent past and their legacy in the contemporary situation.
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Maritime Security (IR4535)
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30 Credit Points
This course introduces maritime security as an essential element of national security. It enables students to understand and analyse contemporary national and international security from the vantage point of the oceans, seas, and rivers. It covers global maritime geography, seapower, maritime strategy, and contemporary national and international security threats in or from the maritime domain.
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Political Islam: Islamist Ideologies and Practices (PI4573)
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30 Credit Points
Taking a historical approach, the course will trace the key events that have led to current Political Islam (Islamism) concentrating on the ideology and practice of various movements and groups. It will explore contemporary constructs of identity and political arrangements within Islamism and encourage critical analysis and independent thought in relation to the challenges Islamist poses to existing theoretical paradigms. Areas to be explored will include: the political construct of early Islam, the Sunni/Shia divide, key ideologues, and contemporary movements such as the Muslim Brothers, Hamas and Hizbullah.
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International Migration and Europe (PI4579)
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30 Credit Points
International Migration has recently gained increased academic and policy interest. This course, while introducing the main analytical concepts concerning migration, addresses the policy dimension in the European context. Additionally the course will assist students in becoming active citizens in an ever changing world.
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Gender and Politics (PI4584)
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30 Credit Points
This course introduces students to key ideas utilised in the analysis of gender and politics. It engages students with scholarship from the fields of Political Science and International Relations, offering an in-depth analysis of cases ranging from the racial politics of the #MeToo campaign to discussion of gender quotas, the politics of gendered labour, body and emotions, the causes and implications of gendered violence, political apologies and peace.
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Northern Ireland: Small, Dirty War (PI4588)
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30 Credit Points
This course investigates claims that the British state and its security forces, and Republican and Loyalist paramilitary organisations, were engaged in a ‘dirty war’ in Northern Ireland. The theory and practice of dirty war is addressed via strategic and tactical evolution on the part of the British security forces and the IRA during the euphemistically termed ‘Troubles’.
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Corruption and Good Governance (PI4589)
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30 Credit Points
This course investigates the politics of good governance and anti-corruption policies inside and beyond the borders of Europe. It focuses on the concepts of corruption and good governance, explores major theoretical approaches regarding fight against corruption and addresses specific cases such as corruption in old patrimonial communist states, state capture in Southeast Europe, oligarchs in Europe’s near abroad and lords of poverty in Africa.
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The Far Right in Europe (PI4592)
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30 Credit Points
The course will analyse a political phenomenon which is growing across Europe. It will cover political parties as well as extra-parliamentary movements and online activities. Key concepts such as fascism, racism and populism will be covered, as well as voting patterns, ideologies, campaign strategies and theoretical approaches. The course will be beneficial to future study and work in a wide range of areas and contexts, with relevance to integration, internationalisation and social cohesion.
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Politics and Society in the Middle East (SL4502)
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30 Credit Points
This is an interdisciplinary course that critically examines state and society in the contemporary Middle East. Themes covered in the course include colonialism and post-colonialism, state governance and political movements, group identification in religious, ethno-national, and other terms, and gender.