Security Studies - MA

This module is designed to develop within students a detailed understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of Security Studies in International Relations through an examination of the various different schools of thought that exist within the discipline. The module makes use of face-to-face teaching in the form of workshops alongside blended learning outside of scheduled time in the classroom.

This module is designed to enable students to develop an understanding of the research process and the nature and variety of research methods together with the need for an evidence base to guide decision making process. The design of the module allows for face-to-face and blended learning.

Cooperation among countries in order to create a peaceful world has been pursued for over a century. However, the creation of international institutions has also provoked unexpected and expected international security problems. This module examines the link between International Institutions and Security Studies.

Rather than simply to provide students with a module that gives a broad overview to the various different topics that come under the remit of Security Studies this module gives students a chance to study a series of genuinely contemporary and often ongoing issues within security that vary from individual case studies, events or overarching themes. The module reflects the interests and research expertise of the teaching team to give students an eclectic and varied module that builds on the theoretical insights they gained in Security and International Relations Theory and apply these to present day case studies.

The purpose of ‘Researching Crime and Security’ is to build upon the basic practical research skills acquired in the ‘Research Methods’ module and to begin to critically consider central areas of contemporary Crime and Security research. In order to do this, students are expected to be involved in individual and collective learning opportunities provided in the module and then work both individually and collaboratively to deliver a research tender, hence demonstrating that they have acquired practical and transferable skills that are clearly linked to either employment or HEI work in the field of social research.

This module provides students with the opportunity to carry out a self-directed, empirical and critical investigation of a specific criminology or Security Studies topic. A dissertation will usually contain an extended literature review, methodology, summary of findings and conclusion, although this is an indicative guide only and the final product will vary dependent upon topic and method selected.

This module will offer students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the sources, dynamics and consequences of contemporary political violence, and to consider the significance of terrorism and conflict within the broader realm of politics and international relations (IR). It will also ‘critically’ analyse the policies and politics of preventing and countering terrorism at both the national and international levels.

Originating at Temple University in Philadelphia, the Inside-Out model of prison education facilitates dialogue and education across profound social differences. University postgraduates (outside students) alongside incarcerated men and women (inside students) learn together on a module undertaken within the prison setting. The module is highly interactive and invites you to take leadership in addressing issues of crime, justice, and social concerns. Equality of status is at the heart of this innovative learning experience, alongside equality of expectation and outcome. Each student, whether inside or outside, undertakes the same learning process and assessment. All students read a variety of literature and engage with a number of reflective tasks. During class sessions you discuss issues in small and large groups, and in the final stages of the module students work together on a class project.   

This postgraduate module provides you with an opportunity to engage with some of the key aims of your programme by examining contemporary debates that surround the phenomenon of homicide and multiple homicide, and a range of separate and related forms of violence. You will be given case studies of serial murderers, violent crimes, and harms caused by powerful interests. This will be achieved by focusing on both historical and contemporary cases within both a national and international context. By presenting both a theoretical discussion and real life cases, this module provides an opportunity to develop knowledge and critical understanding of criminology and related disciplines both in theory and in practice

The content of the module includes both theoretical and case study overviews that will examine the complex range of abusive behaviours, from coercive control to image based abuse.  We will explore a range of theoretical approaches including individualist, familial/systems and structuralist to strengthen our understanding of these harms.  We will critically consider definitions, what we know/don’t know about the extent of the issue and consider the nature and impact of the harm caused.  We take a holistic approach by considering by the victim-survivor and the perpetrators of harm and what can be done to prevent these forms of violence in society.  We will give consideration to the different cultural social contexts of domestic abuse and sexual violence from childhood through to older age and in doing so you will be encouraged to explore the module content through an intersectional lens and with a trauma informed approach. 

This module introduces you to Green Criminology and its relevance to the contemporary experience of climate breakdown. You will critically apply associated concepts and theories to future criminal justice and security challenges stemming from climate breakdown including civil disorder, water scarcity, conflict and refugees. You will be able to distinguish the outsized contribution that countries, economies and corporations in the Global North make to climate breakdown and the disproportionate harms for countries in the Global South. They will assess proposed solutions and modes of adaption, resilience and resistance to these harms. 

Modern democratic states often rely on practices of detention and incarceration to demonstrate the power of the rule of law and social control. As a result, security and detention spaces like refugee camps, migrant detention islands, jails and for-profit prisons, war prisons, border checkpoints, and protest camps are no longer the only places where we see security practices and systems. The concepts and practices developed in these spaces are now utilised in an ever-expanding number of spatial, legal, and political contexts. Through diverse means, including contemporary surveillance technologies, we see the securitization of people and spaces. In this module, we will explore the way that prison regimes, practices, and systems have moved into other spheres and engage in a detailed historical and theoretical investigation of the complex and often-contradictory processes that produce them.