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War and Modern Society II

Overview

  • Credit value: 15 credits at Level 6
  • Convenor and tutor: Antoine Bousquet
  • Assessment: a 48-hour take-home test (90%) and quiz (10%)

Module description

War is one of the oldest features of social life and one whose recurrence seems to endure in spite of all the political, social and cultural transformations it has traversed. Yet war is simultaneously never quite the same since its various manifestations are conditioned by the characteristics of the societies that wage it. In particular, we appear to live in a moment in which many of the conventional definitions and understandings of what counts as war are being challenged by the various manifestations of organised violence present in our contemporary world. This module therefore aims to go beyond the narrow confines of strategic thought to a broad consideration of the complex relationships and dynamics which have interwoven the experience and practice of warfare to the past, present and future development of states, societies and the individuals who inhabit them.

In assessing the centrality of war to socio-cultural change, the module will explore its interplay with processes of state formation, its relationship to the industrialisation and modernisation of societies and their uses of science and technology, its place within political and international relations theory, and its role in shaping historical consciousness and both individual and group identities. The personal and collective experience of war, its mediation and representation, and the uses of memory will also be considered. While the module will seek to contextualise war within its wider historiography, present issues such as nuclear weapons, terrorism, genocide, civil war, humanitarian intervention and drones will also be covered.

Indicative module content

  • Terrorism
  • Civil War
  • Technology and War
  • Rise of the Drones I: Targeted Killing and the Disappearing Battlefield
  • Rise of the Drones II: Robot Wars
  • WarNotWar: Into the Grey Zone
  • Remembering War
  • War and Cinema

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will:

  • be able to critically apply the theories, concepts and approaches employed in the study of war and society to both historical and contemporary events and processes
  • have a broad understanding of the major historical developments in war and society
  • be capable of critically assessing policies, claims and arguments relating to war and society and arriving at your own judgements and perspectives.