Violences, Peace and Security

Recommended Prerequisites

- Fluency in English.

- Knowledge of techniques and styles of academic writing.

Teaching Methods

Seminars are organised to encourage students’ active involvement in learning, fostering student teacher interaction. Each topic is theoretically contextualised and followed by the analysis and debate of the relevant scientific texts and case studies.

Learning Outcomes

General knowledge objectives: specialised knowledge of the main conceptual debates and schools of thought in the areas of violence, peace and security.

Based on this knowledge, the aim is for students to develop a critical reflection on contemporary international politics, as well as specific skills and knowledge, such as:

- identify the different understandings of the three concepts;

- critically analyse the arguments of the most fundamental theories of violence, peace and security, their reference works and respective authors; 

- understand the relationship between the three concepts and the practice of international politics;

- analyse and interpret specific case studies on violence, peace and security;

- interpret issues of violence, peace and security in the light of the theoretical reference frameworks studied.  

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

• Traditional perspectives on security: realism and liberalism; the security dilemma
• The conflict analysis school
• Peace studies: historical perspective, methodological, epistemological and political assumptions
• Critical international security studies: post-positivism and discourse analysis
• Copenhagen School: securitisation and regional security complexes
• Gender, peace and security
• Emergence of liberal peace; peace as governance and peacebuilding consensus; hyper-critical approaches to liberal peace

Head Lecturer(s)

Maria Clara Gabriel de Oliveira

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Oral presentation: 25.0%
Written assignment: 25.0%
Mini Tests: 50.0%

Bibliography

Barash, DP, and Webel, CP (2021) Peace and Conflict Studies (5^th ed.) SAGE Publications

Buzan, B.; Hansen, L. (2009) The evolution of international security studies. CUP

Chandler, D. (2017) Peacebuilding: the twenty years’ crisis, 1997-2017. Palgrave

Leprince, C, Steer, C, and von Hlatky, S (2021) Women, peace and security: feminist perspectives on International Security. McGill-Queen’s University Press

Peoples, C, and Vaughan-Williams, N (2021) Critical Security Studies. An introduction (3^rd ed.). Routledge

Ramsbotham, O., et al. (2012) Contemporary Conflict Resolution: the prevention, management and transformation of deadly conflicts. Polity Press

Richmond, O, and Visoka, G (2021) The Oxford Handbook of peacebuilding, statebuilding and peace formation. OUP

Williams, P.D., McDonald, M. (2018) Security Studies. An introduction (3^rd ed.) Routledge