Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Political Terrorism
Module Code	LG343
School	School of Law & Government
Online Module Resources
Module Co-ordinator	Semester 1: James Fitzgerald Semester 2: Noel McGrath
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

The events of 9/11 spectacularly highlighted the destructive capacity of international terrorism, whilst also demonstrating its profound capacity to affect the international system. Though the phenomenon of ‘Islamist Terrorism’—as it is commonly denoted—has come to dominate modern conceptions of terrorism, it is important to recall the history of terrorism and the concomitant developments associated with it over time. As such, this course examines some of the key dimensions of international terrorism, both historical and contemporary, and provides students with a broad range of perspectives from which to engage with the subject. The conceptual framework for this course is structured around a central dichotomy between ‘old’ and ‘new’. In this sense, students will be challenged as to whether it is possible to distinguish between so-called ‘old’ and ‘new’ terrorism, and with the advent of more ‘critical’ approaches to the study of terrorism, whether one can discern between ‘old terrorism studies’ and an emergent ‘new terrorism studies’. As such, this course is placed at the cutting-edge of recent developments within the associated literature. This course also contains a unique aspect in that it engages an online collaborative approach to the study of terrorism across cultures. Students of this course will take part in joint discussions and activities—via Moodle—on shared resources and topics with students from Georgia State University. This course is extremely demanding, but with dedication to hard work, students will avail of a unique opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the field of terrorism, whilst also attaining experience of working collaboratively across cultures on a highly topical and controversial subject.

Learning Outcomes

1. Acknowledge the difficulties surrounding the definition of terrorism
2. Comprehend the historical antecedents of, types, and purported causes of modern terrorism
3. Debate current 'hot topics' within the relevant literature, particularly the alleged divisions between oldversus new terrorism and 'traditional' versus 'critical' Terrorism Studies
4. Compare and contrast states counterterrorism strategies
5. Analyse the range of academic research that has been conducted in this area and the problems with same
6. Critically engage with descriptions and analyses of terrorism/sub-state political violence appearing in the mass media
7. Achieve an experience of cross-cultural engagement in orer to critically challenge many core issuespertaining to the study of terrorism

Workload	Full-time hours per semester
*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Lecture	22	Weekly Lectures
On-line learning	18	Weekly Online Forum Posts
Group work	30	Total written work of c.8,000-10,000 words
Assignment	30	End of Term Essay
Independent learning	25	Revision and Required Readings
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

None

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Course Work Breakdown
Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Group assignment	Collaborative Group Project	40%	n/a
Essay	End of Term Essay	40%	n/a
Other	Online Forum Posts	20%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List