POLITICS 777: Special Topic: Politics of Terrorism
POLITICS 777:
Special Topic: Politics of Terrorism
SEMESTER 2, 2019
15 points
Course Coordinator
Dr Fabio Scarpello
Lecturer in Politics and International Relations
Faculty of Arts
Email: fabio.scarpello@auckland.ac.nz
Room: 201E 507
Phone: +64 9 923 5691
https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/fabio-scarpello
Office Hours: Wednesday 15:00 – 17:00
Course Overview
Since the attacks on the World Trade Centre in the United States in September 2001, the spectre of terrorism and the ‘War on Terror’ have reshaped and dominated domestic politics in the Global North and international politics more generally. The rise, and relative fall, of the Islamic State, the growing threat of homegrown Salafi-jihadists and Far-Right radicals, have exacerbated the feeling that terrorism is a fundamental menace to “our way of life.” Terrorism, and the responses to it, have thus become woven into the fabric of our societies. This course engages with some of the most critical questions that have emerged from this milieu in Western democracies.
This course is an advanced study of terrorism and counterterrorism located in the field of international relations and favouring an approach that blends orthodox terrorism studies and critical terrorism studies. The course thus provides insights into terrorists’ ideologies, motives and strategies, and into key counterterrorism’s policies and practices. But it also questions the political underpinnings that motivate terrorists and shape states responses to it. Terrorism is seen as a socially constructed category that needs to be explained within a critical analysis of the sociopolitical context from which it originates. Likewise, counterterrorism is not only seen as a set of policies to mediate the terror threat, but as part of broader debates on authority and legitimacy in the use of violence and the power of the state, and a set of practices that have political and ethical repercussions for societies at large. This approach entails a focus on the nature and definition of terrorism, on the politics of labelling ‘terrorist’ and on the role that media and the internet play in constructing meaning. Indeed, meaning, in regard to terrorism, represents the base upon which counterterror policymaking is drafted, justified and legitimised.
There are two parts to this course.
The first part (weeks 1-7) engages with terrorism. The first four weeks provide the conceptual and theoretical background for the course. They engage with the definitional complexity and ambiguity of terrorism and the role of the media and the internet in producing knowledge concerning terrorism, including normative understandings of what terrorism is or isn’t. They also consider the history of understandings of terrorism as a unique form of political violence; the various factors behind the use of the label ‘terrorism’, and the prevailing theories of terrorism causation. Week five, six and seven engage with case studies. These latter present students with the opportunity to apply some of the learning accrued, while learning about the main facets of contemporary global terrorism.
The second part (weeks 8-12) of the course focuses on counterterrorism and opens with a seminar on the main approaches to counterterrorism. The remaining seminars critically evaluate the operational successes and ethical dilemmas of the ‘War on Terror,’ the implication of the rise of the security state in Western democracies and the ramification of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programs. The latter three weeks entail case studies and a student-led approach to learning. The course ends with a reflection on whether terrorism is a threat to our way of life.
Aims and objectives
Aims and objectives represent the topics the course convenor will deliver during the course and that students are expected to gain knowledge of. By the end of the course students will gain:
- Broad knowledge of the politics that shape terrorism and counterterrorism discourses and practices.
- An understanding of the various theories regarding terrorism, its causes and the social, economic and political conditions in which it has emerged as a form of political violence used by a variety of actors.
- An understanding of the sociopolitical and historical context that has favoured the rise of global Jihadi-Salafi jihadism and Western Far-Right terrorism.
- An understanding of the main counterterrorism practices and policies and their implications.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes are the skills that students are expected to develop during the course. On successful completion of the course, students will have developed:
- A critical understanding of the problems, issues and implications of how we think about, define and conceptualise terrorism.
- A critical understanding of the various theoretical perspectives, debates and challenges in the study of terrorism and counterterrorism.
- The ability to apply a set of theories to analyse issues related to terrorism.
- The ability to critically distinguish various counterterrorism approaches and their social, political and ethical implications.
How to study for this course
The course comprises of twelve, two-hour seminars that include a lecture and a series of student-led activities. The lecture may precede or follow the student-led activities at the discretion of the course coordinator. The duration of the lecture may vary from 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
Students are required to prepare for the seminars via independent research and reading.
The best way for students to prepare is by framing their reading and research in a manner that addresses the ‘discussion questions' listed under each week. Students should first familiarise themselves with these questions and, secondly, seek to answer them by engaging with the resources listed under each week, as well as by independent research if needed. Students are expected to spend on average 10.5 hours per week for the total weeks of this teaching period working on this course.
Three set of weekly resources are available for students to prepare for the seminars: ‘Essential readings,’ ‘further readings’ and ‘non-peered review resources.’
Essential readings are peer-reviewed academic materials that students must read. These readings will help to facilitate stimulating and informed discussion during the student-led part of the seminars. Essential readings are available online via the University of Auckland library and via Canvas. If students have difficulties in accessing the online reading material, they should contact the course coordinator.
Further readings are also peer-reviewed academic materials. The selected further readings help students gaining valuable insights into the topic studied and the discussion questions. Students are encouraged to engage with some of these readings, proactively seeking answers to the discussion questions. Further readings are extremely useful for students that may want to engage with a specific topic for the course assignments. Further readings should be available online via the University of Auckland library. If some are not available, however, students should contact the course coordinator.
Non-peer reviewed resources comprise of media articles, policy reports, podcasts, videos and more. These have been selected to add to students’ learning experience and because they provide useful insights into the discussion questions. Students are strongly encouraged to engage with some of this material.
Key sources of information
Canvas site
This canvas site includes all the main information related to this course. Key pages, accessible by the navigation menu on the left are:
- Assignments. Here students will find information on the assignments and the folder where to upload each assignment
- Modules. Here students will find 13 modules. The first module includes the PDF of the Course Guide and of the Coursework Guide. The 12 remaining modules contain the relevant links and information for each week. In particular, each includes links to the essential readings; a PDF file with the weekly learning content (summary of the lecture; study questions; essential readings; further readings; and non-peer resources) and the PowerPoint of the lecture, which is uploaded after each lecture. Under each module, there are also links to the assignments and other relevant information Dr Fabio Scarpello may upload during the course.
- Announcements. Here the course coordinator may post information relevant to the course. Students should check it frequently
Course Guide
The Course Guide is the main source of information for this course. Students must download it and refer to it throughout the 12 teaching weeks. The Course Guide is available for download in 'Modules/Course Guides'. The Guide includes detailed information on the following:
- Relevant books
- Relevant peer-reviewed journals
- Relevant online resources
- Study schedule and key dates
- Assessments details and penalties for late submission
- Weekly course content, as follow:
- Introduction to the topic
- Study questions
- List of 'Essential Readings,' 'Further Readings 'and 'Non-Peer Reviewed Resources.'
Coursework Guide
The Coursework Guide contains a wealth of information to navigate the administrative and academic aspects of studying at the University of Auckland, Department of Politics and International Relations. The Coursework Guide is also available for download in 'Modules/Course Guides'.
Assessments
Assessments are aimed at evaluating students’ progress towards achieving the aim and objectives and the learning outcomes of this course. This course includes three forms of assessment, weighing differently towards students’ final grade as detailed below:
Assessment 1: Position papers (3) – 600 words each. Due 21 August midnight. Worth 30% final grade
Assessment 2: Op-ed article – 800 words. Due 25 September. Worth 20% of the final grade
Assessment 3: Research essay – 3000 words. Due 30 October. Worth 50% of the final grade
Course summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|