International Relations and Asian Studies BA

This module will introduce and interrogate British political history since 1945. The module will take students through key issues and controversies in post-war British politics and as they relate to leaders and governments and key debates over controversies. 

The module will explore a range of issues relating to:

• economic policy
• social policy and the welfare state
• industrial relations
• foreign and defence policy
• Europe
• local government
• nuclear deterrence

Seminars will employ a range of activity-based scenarios to develop student understanding of key crises experienced by leaders and governments since 1945.  

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This module explores the shift from modern to postmodern values, looking at questions like levels of trust in democracies, religion and secularisation, and nationalism. While exploring these themes, you will learn the principles of research design and data analysis using Microsoft Excel.

Using the World Values Survey and a questionnaire designed yourself, you will learn how to compare countries and assess the role of culture in politics.

This module seeks to compare and contrast the decision-making structures of modern democratic states. Topics to be covered will include: 

• politics
• government and the state
• the comparative approach
• constitutions and the legal framework
• democratic and authoritarian rule
• political culture
• the political executive
• legislatures
• political parties and party systems
• electoral systems and voting behaviour
• the crisis of democracy

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This is an introductory module designed to provide you with an overview of contemporary China and help you establish a foundation of knowledge and skills to pursue more advanced studies of China in your later years of study.

The module examines the following topics since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, though particular attention is paid to the changes in China since 1978:

• The Chinese economy
• Chinese politics
• Social policy
• Security and foreign relations
• China's increasing activities and engagements with the world
• Chinese media and the Chinese internet
• Civil society and state society relations
• Taiwan and cross-Strait relations

Journey through 200 years of modern Asian history.

We explore the themes of imperialism, nationalism, political economy and democracy to build a broad understanding of some key elements in the making of modern Asia. We then focus on some local contexts, so for example, after covering imperialism, we take a closer look at Japanese imperialism in Korea, British colonialism in Burma, etc.

When looking at nationalism, we consider the emergence of ‘official nationalism’ in Thailand and Japan, and more popular nationalisms emerging from liberation struggles. On political economy, we compare and contrast Taiwan and China to illustrate the different trajectories of market, plan and command rational economies (relatively speaking).

For democracy, we consider whether Asian culture warrants an authoritarian form of ‘Asian democracy’ and whether or not democracy can be ‘built’ and engineered as though it were simply a bridge over water.

This module is worth 10 credits.

This module introduces you to the ideas of some of the canonical thinkers in the history of political thought, such as Burke, Rousseau, Kant, Mill, and Marx. The module considers the impact of these thinkers on modern political thought and practice, with reference to key political ideas and historical developments (such as liberty and equality, and the Enlightenment). The module will be text based.  

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This module introduces students to the ideas of some of the canonical thinkers in the history of political thought, such as Aristotle, Plato, Machiavelli, and Hobbes. The module considers the impact of these thinkers on modern political thought and practice, with reference to key political ideas and historical developments (such as liberty and equality, and the Enlightenment). The module will be text based.  

This module explores some of the major problems that exist in contemporary global politics. It introduces you to a wide range of challenges faced by states and non-state actors in the international system and engages with topics ranging from security concerns to economic issues. 

The module draws on a wide range of ideas and examples from around the world to help you to better understand global politics.

This module provides an introduction to the study of international relations.

It focuses on some of the main theoretical approaches in the discipline: ways of explaining and understanding global politics, each of which has developed over time rival accounts both of the features of world politics on which we ought to concentrate and of the concepts that we ought to bring to bear in our analyses. It illustrates each of these broad theoretical approaches - and some of their pitfalls - by introducing the study of some 'structural' aspect of global politics, such as conflict, peace, institutions and globalisation.

The module therefore supplies the introduction to international relations that will be necessary for those who go on to study contemporary global affairs and more advanced modules such as those on international political economy, global security, or foreign policy analysis.

This is an international relations module, but it is also interdisciplinary, with a sizable history component. The module examines world order change from ancient times to the present. The module will focus on Europe's rise to world domination and the current global shift from a western-constructed and dominated order to something different but as yet unknown.

The module examines world order as a historically specific thing that can change and is not permanent. It seeks to open your mind to the impermanence of world order and factors that will reshape the present world order in the decades to come. The module draws on political and international relations theory as well as more empirically-based accounts of world politics past, present, and future.

How do researchers plan and deliver research projects? What are some of the ethical and practical considerations central to carrying out research? How do students start to become researchers in the China field? This module will address these questions by developing your skills, knowledge and understanding of a range of research methods and fieldwork techniques in the Chinese context.

Topics for this module cover research design and strategies, case studies, semi-structured interviews, content and discourse analysis, risk assessment, safety and ethical issues, group and individual research projects. You will undertake practical fieldwork activities while based at the University of Nottingham campus in Ningbo.

This modules introduces you to key concepts in the understanding of contemporary Chinese culture, ideology, and features of Chinese society, including:

• Chinese nationalism
• education and ideology
• rural and urban society
• the role of intellectuals
• prevailing socio-cultural ideologies and trends

This module emphasises sociological theories of family and society with reference to China. Topics include:

• social structure of China: the State, society, families and individuals
• trust, Guanxi (social network), and social capital
• rural-urban divide: dualism, 'urban bias' or 'State bias'
• social stratification: class, entitlement and citizenship
• evolution of China's social development: rural-urban migration
• evolution of China's labour market and industrial relations institutions

This module introduces you to the theory and practice of international organisations. It examines the main theoretical approaches in international relations and illustrates the contributions of these approaches to our understanding of the historical and political foundations of international organisations.

The module examines what international organisations do, whether they matter in world politics and how they shape the processes of global governance. The module, in particular, will look at the United Nations (including its organisation, decision-making process and financing); World Bank; International Monetary Fund; World Trade Organization; International Courts and Tribunals; UN and Humanitarian Emergencies; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

This module aims at introducing you to global environmental problems. It will not only look at more technical questions linked to environmental protection (for instance, the link between economic development and environment) but also on the international responses to these problems, notably international regimes.

Invitation of practitioners from environmental organisations and of researchers working in this area will complement the module.

Recent years have seen an astonishing spread of democracy to many Asian, African and Latin American countries. What caused these dramatic political transitions? What challenges do democratizing countries in the Third World face? Will these new democracies endure? What explains the persistence of authoritarianism or pseudo democracies?

We will take up these questions using along traditional pedagogical approaches, documentary and popular journalism, as well as scholarly research. We will also focus on a small number of countries that cut across focus regions (Brazil, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Kenya, Singapore, Thailand and Burma) in order to explore in greater depth some of the most important political challenges faced by developing countries.

Although the class focuses on the developing world, many of the lessons and experiences can have broader application.

This module provides you with a foundation in Chinese phonetics, grammar and vocabulary in order to develop your competence in Mandarin Chinese. The focus is on communicative competence in both spoken and written language, and you will begin thorough training in use of the Mandarin Chinese script. As well as equipping you with skills in the language, the module also informs you about Chinese culture and society.

This module consolidates the skills you have acquired in the first year and further develops your oral and written communicative ability in Mandarin. It introduces use in more complex situations and broadens your vocabulary. A range of activities, including listening exercises, discussion, reading comprehension and producing short written texts, will improve your fluency and confidence.

This module develops the political dimension of theoretical approaches to culture and communications. Looking at everyday forms and practices, the course highlights the ideological investments in questions of cultural value.

Concentrating on nation, race, class, gender, disability and sexuality as areas of inequality which shape, and are shaped by, cultural and communications practices, the module emphasises the power dynamics at play in processes of cultural production, consumption and control.

The programme moves from macro to micro approaches to culture beginning with broad questions around ideology, power and resistance and ending with the particulars of everyday strategies and tactics.

This module provides you with a contemporary overview of the international politics of the Asia-Pacific, including:

• the role of the United States of America in the region
• the rise of China and the impact on the Asia Pacific
• the "normalisation" of Japan
• conflict on the Korean peninsula
• the South China Sea dispute and the role of Southeast Asian middle powers
• the international politics of human rights

The Malay world extends from the southernmost point of the Asian continent to form an archipelagic expanse that has been a crossroads in the global flow of people, goods, and ideas in the past millennium. The contemporary nation-states that emerged from this past include Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

This module delves into Malay world history through readings and by examining primary sources in a variety of media. It explores ways of understanding history before the arrival of nation-states and its implications for the present.

The module provides an overview of the issues, programmes and policies that have influenced the development of Malaysian society and economy.

The topics addressed within the module cover a range of areas dealing with the socio political setting of modern Malaysia, the Malaysia constitution, political and administrative development, followed by a coverage of the features and development of key economic sectors, trade and industrial policies, fiscal and monetary policies, globalisation and its impact on Malaysian society and the economy.

This module provides the foundations on which to build an understanding of the psychological implications of cultural differences. It attempts to examine some of the ways in which human behavior and processes are conditioned by cultural membership.

It will cover the fundamental concepts and theoretical perspectives as well as findings of classic and contemporary empirical studies pertinent in the study of culture and human behavior.

This module aims to provide you with a perspective for understanding the historical growth and contemporary problems relating to the notion of citizenship. Specifically citizenship is related to globalization, the role of the state and issues of justice domestically and internationally. The module also aims to introduce you to a range of theoretical frameworks concerned with these issues.

You are required to follow all the lectures online, participates in the seminar discussion taking place on the virtual platform and complete the necessary course works by the deadline. The module requires constant participation and commitment throughout the semester.

During this year-long module you'll:

• think about industries, audiences and surrounding debates from a social and cultural viewpoint
• learn about the way that social and cultural meaning is produced by film and television programmes​
• explore the social practices that surround the consumption of media, such as movie going and television viewing

Some of the specific questions we might look at together include:

• How do value judgements shape the way in which movies and television programmes get made
• What is "good" television?
• What challenges are public service broadcasters, like the BBC, facing and how should they address these?
• How have writers and producers attempted to use television drama to enact social change?
• What kind of TV programmes are preferred by streaming services and why?
• How might binge watching impact on the viewer's experience and social communication?

This module is worth 20 credits.

This module explores issues in global security since the end of the Cold War. It focuses on security in a broad sense, from issues relating to the use of force by states, through to violence by non-state actors, such as terrorist groups, and on to the concept of human security where issues of disease and environmental impact are important. International relations theories that shed light on the study of international security will be studied in the module.

The module builds on the first year modules Understanding Global Politics and Issues in Global Politics, challenging you to deepen your theoretical as well as empirical knowledge in international security. It is also a preparation for the research-led third year modules that require a much more developed capacity of analysing empirical developments from a range of different theoretical perspectives.

This module introduces you to the study of international political economy (IPE) and global development. It examines the reciprocal, interactive relationship between politics and economics or between states and markets in the contemporary international system by exploring how political factors influence international economic relations and how the international economy in turn shapes domestic and international politics.

The module introduces the main theoretical approaches in international political economy and global development and illustrates the contributions of these approaches to our understanding of the global political economy.

South East Asia is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, but that growth is uneven between powerhouses like Singapore and the less advanced nations such as Laos and Burma. The political landscape is a mixture of authoritarian or centralised states such as Vietnam and Burma, and vibrant democracies like the Philippines and Indonesia.

The module approaches South East Asia from three perspectives: international relations, media studies and cultural politics. It offers a thorough grounding in the key issues affecting the region today.

This module introduces you to the politics and political institutions of a number of countries. It does so from a thematic perspective, namely by first discussing concepts and theories of Comparative Politics and then applying them to several countries. Issues explored may include the origin and impact of electoral institutions, the role of cleavage in politics, structures of political economy, regime form, and gender.

This module compares and contrasts social and political development in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan from the late 1970s until the present day. It introduces you to rapidly changing state-society relations in three distinctive and yet interrelated Chinese communities. You will analyse the interplay between political institutions and civil society in the Greater China region. More specifically, you will appraise how executive overreach and/or factional infighting among ruling elites have time and again led to cracks in the authoritarian edifice.

Drawing on specific case studies on mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan you will recognise how dissidents, civil society practitioners, and social movement leaders have made good use of resulting political opportunity structures and challenged state authority. You will assess to what extent civil society-led contentious politics has managed or failed to bring about political liberalisation and democratisation in the Greater China region.

The module introduces you to alternative theoretical approaches to the study of political phenomena. We consider the different forms of analysing, explaining, and understanding politics associated with approaches such as behaviouralism, rational choice theory, institutionalism, Marxism, feminism, interpretive theory and post-modernism.

The module shows that the different approaches are based upon contrasting ontological suppositions about the nature of politics, and they invoke alternative epistemological assumptions about how we acquire valid knowledge of politics and international relations.

We examine questions such as: what constitutes valid knowledge in political science and international relations? Should political science methodology be the same as the methods employed in the natural sciences? Can we give causal explanations of social and political phenomena? Can we ever be objective in our analysis? What is the relationship between knowledge and power?

Elections are the foundation of representative democracy. The act of voting creates a link between citizens' preferences and government policy. This means that the choices voters make have important consequences.

But, how do voters make these choices? Are they based on the policies that parties promise to enact in the future, or is it more about the policy successes (or failures) that parties have experienced in the past? Does the party's leader make a difference? Can campaigns or the media's coverage change how voters see their electoral choices? Finally, given the importance of elections, why do many citizens choose to abstain from the process altogether?

How Voters Decide will explore the choices that citizens make when they participate in elections and it will provide students with the skills necessary to evaluate arguments about electoral behaviour in Britain and beyond.

The module examines issues and themes in 20th-century international politics, from the eclipse of the 19th-century European diplomatic order to the collapse of the global bipolar system at end of the Cold War.

The course is taught from the disciplinary standpoint of international relations rather than that of international history. Therefore, various theoretical perspectives are brought to bear on each of these themes. For instance, we discuss:

• the broad differences between the disciplines of international relations and international history in respect of explaining and understanding the international politics of the 20th century
• questions of causality in international relations with reference to the onset of the Cold War
• questions about political psychology with respect to the Cuban missile crisis
• questions about prediction and the purposes of theory in relation to the end of the Cold War

Political parties were central to the British political system throughout the 20th century and remain so at the beginning of the 21st. Despite persistent criticism, and perennial claims of their 'decline', parties are an essential component of any student's understanding of British politics and remain the central means by which the electorate passes judgement on the government. 

This module examines the structure, ideology and history of British political parties. Topics covered include how the major and minor parties fought the 2015 general election, along with a discussion of how parties adapt to change.

This module aims to provide you with a systematic introduction to current debates in the comparative analysis of European politics.

The module adopts a thematic approach and focuses on both traditional fields of comparative enquiry, such as the study of party systems and representation, elections and voting behaviour, party competition and government formation, executive-legislative relations, as well as emerging fields of interest, such as political participation, extreme right politics, immigration, political corruption and the political and social challenges of globalisation and European integration.

The diverse experiences of liberal democracy in European countries and the political and social changes that they have undergone are discussed thematically in the seminars. In the seminars, a country-expert system is used whereby you are assigned a particular country to cover. The module covers both long-established democracies in Western Europe and newer democracies in Central and Eastern Europe.

This module explores issues in global security since the end of the Cold War. It focuses on security in a broad sense, from issues relating to the use of force by states, through to violence by non-state actors, such as terrorist groups, and on to the concept of human security. 

The module builds on the first year modules, Understanding Global Politics and Problems in Global Politics, challenging you to deepen your theoretical as well as empirical knowledge in international security. It is also a preparation for the research-led third year modules that require a much more developed capacity of analysing empirical developments from a range of different theoretical perspectives.  

This module studies the historical development of international political economy with a specific focus on development as well as the different ways this can be theoretically analysed.

While some speak about the internationalisation of the temporary order, others think in terms of more drastic changes and define them as globalisation. Similarly, while some are very optimistic that increasing free trade administered by the WTO will lead to general development, others argue that this is precisely the mechanism, with which underdeveloped countries are kept in a situation of dependence.

Based on the teaching of background information on different IPE theories and the immediate post-war period, it is these kinds of questions the module will be addressing. The module builds on the first year modules Understanding Global Politics and Problems in Global Politics, challenging you to deepen your theoretical as well as empirical knowledge in IPE.

It is also a preparation for the research-led third year modules, which require a much more developed capacity of analysing empirical developments from a range of different theoretical perspectives.

This module will offer an overview of political party development and the functioning of party systems in democratic states around the world, with a special focus on post-transitional democracies in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Applying a variety of analytical concepts, theoretical approaches and empirical indicators to the study of party politics, the module will highlight the institutional and sociological determinants of party organisation development and system stability as well as the consequences of party failure and party system collapse.

'Justice' has been one of the key themes of political theory at least from the time of Plato, as questions of who gets what, when, and why are absolutely central to political discourse. Should people be able to keep what they earn with their talents, or is it only fair to take wealth away from those who have it to give to those who have little? Do different cultures deserve equal 'recognition'? 

Recently these questions of distributive and social justice have taken on a global dimension. Does the developed world have obligations to distant others, and do they have rights against it?

This module will look at these questions from a contemporary perspective, looking at ideas about justice from thinkers such as the utilitarians, John Rawls, Thomas Pogge, Susan Moller Okin, and Bhikhu Parekh.

This module examines major public policy programs since the beginning of the reform and opening up in the 1978 in the areas of education, environment, media and communications, health, population, labour, ethnicity, along with social changes and their consequences for people's livelihoods.

In addition to exploring the content, evolution and effects of policy in these areas, the module will examine how policies are made and implemented. Lectures will introduce substantive issues and the appropriate theoretical frameworks for making sense of developments on the ground while seminars will help students to understand the impacts of these policies and the social changes accompnaying them.

The invention of the aircraft fundamentally changed the ways in which wars are fought and won. Over the course of only a century airpower developed into an indispensable instrument of warfare. Today, war without airpower is an unlikely prospect and major military operations, as a rule, are launched with overwhelming air attacks.

In recent years, however, the utility of 'strategic' airpower has increasingly come under question. Whilst technological innovation continues to strengthen airpower's capabilities, the relevance of these capabilities in contemporary conflicts cannot be taken for granted.

This module critically assesses the role of air power in modern conflict within the broader framework of strategic and security studies. It will assess the evolution of air power theory since the First World War and examine the limits of its practical application with reference to specific air campaigns.

The module examines the close linkage between literature and cinema in China. It also explores trends in modern Chinese cinema and literature, with a primary focus on different genres and themes developed since 1978. By placing Chinese cinema and literature within their cultural, social and historical contexts, students will analyse, interpret and appreciate such phenomena.

It will include analyses of individual texts in translation and films with English subtitles. The module requires you to view films in English subtitles each week. It will increase your awareness of the major developments in literature and film as they are embedded in the wider changes in modern China.

This module offers a comparative analysis of electoral rules. The module will focus on the way electoral institutions work, as well as their effects on political outcomes and behaviour. 

It will emphasise the rules used to elect presidents and assemblies, and it will examine electoral rules in countries throughout the world, including the U.S, South America, Eastern and Western Europe, and Asia.   

An independent research project, involving the application of techniques of economic analysis to a self-chosen research topic and the presentation of a written report. There will be lectures to provide general guidance on economic research methods and writing an undergraduate dissertation in economics.

Topics include:

• introduction to the dissertation
• types of dissertation
• literature reviews
• sources of data
• writing up your dissertation
• data entry and data management
• an introduction to STATA
• descriptive statistics
• practical issues in regression analysis
• model selection
• endogeneity bias

EU member states by assigning powers to the EU institutions have voluntarily participated in a process that increasingly binds them together. Yet, after all these years of European integration an effective system of political representation is said to be missing.

This module analyses how the growing competencies of the European Union and changing nature of the integration process affect political representation at both the national and European levels. We look at how the EU affects the role of political institutions in the traditional chain of representation in the member states and the wider challenges it poses to democracy.

This module examines major themes, debates and issues in the field of Gender and Development. We will focus on the relationship between ideas and concerns of gender (in)equality and processes, policies, and practices of economic, social and political development.

We will explore the key literature and major debates in the field of feminist political economy, linking academic, policy-related and practitioner/activist debates. We will cover theoretical and conceptual frameworks as well as key contemporary issues explored through thematic and sector/policy case studies. We will explore how political, economic and social processes of globalisation and development intersect, impact, and are in turn influenced by gender relations in the South.

This module will offer an overview of the main political institutions and the behaviour of political actors in the United States, applying a variety of analytic concepts and empirical tools to the study of American politics.

It will in particular focus on rational choice theories of voters and politicians' behaviours addressing the incentives and constraints faced by politicians when choosing public policies. By employing theoretical and empirical tools to study public decision making at the federal and state level, the module will highlight the impact of different institutional arrangements on electoral accountability and policies in the United States.

The aim of this module is to explain and assess the nature and role of ideas and ideologies in British politics. It examines how and why the policies of the 'mainstream' British parties (Conservative, Labour and the Liberal Democrats) have been affected by ideas and ideologies, on the one hand, and by political pragmatism, on the other. 

It also explores the ideas, ideologies and policies of minor parties and 'new social movements' (ecologism; fascism, Nazism and racism; feminism; multiculturalism, and nationalism) and their significance for the study and practice of politics in Britain today.

This module will introduce you to the current issues around migration. You will learn to differentiate between different types of immigration such as asylum, labour, family, and irregular as well as different aspects, such as integration and citizenship. The module will identify and analyse political responses to immigration at both national and supranational levels.  

This module introduces you to the major topics in China's interaction with and role in international political economy (IPE). It includes useful concepts and theories in IPE, the evolution of China's ties with international political economy since 1949, the linkage between domestic and international political economy of China and players in the making of external political economic policies in China.

It also examines China's role in key international organisations (such as the WTO) and in the global and regional orders of political economy. It provides a survey of the political economy of China's ties with the major powers and regions such as the US, Russia, East Asia, and major oil producing nations.

This module is designed to provide an introduction to the international politics of race for final-year students. 

The module begins discussing changing historical meaning of race and the changing historical critiques of race focusing on the shift from universalist to relativist approaches. The module goes on to discuss the historical meaning of race in international politics; the colonial experience, Second World War, after the Second World War, and the discrediting of racial theories. 

The module then considers the evolving international policy approaches toward race and culture, in particular looking at UNESCO's approaches. Finally the module analyses the changing international debates over the politics of race in light of the election of US President Obama.  

This module analyses political, economic, cultural and especially military intervention in Africa. It focuses on the role of external actors such as international organisations, regional organisations, and NGOs, with a special emphasis on the role of France, the UK and the European Union. We will examine theories, concepts and case studies to explain the nature of contemporary intervention.

Themes include:

• the types and evolution of intervention
• the growing connection betweensecurity and development
• ethics of intervention
• the new landscape of internal conflicts and insecurity
• the role of the International Criminal Court
• EU policies towards Africa
• the difficult relationship between European actors on African issues

Case studies include Rwanda, DRC, Somalia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Libya.

Media systems are critically important in any modern political system, and this module leads you directly to the heart of understanding how the media relates to contemporary society and politics in the People's Republic of China.

It introduces you to the unprecedented transformation in contemporary Chinese media and communication in the context of economic reforms, development of new media technologies and globalisation.

Topics covered include:

• changing structure and function of the media and communications in China
• the impact of a socialist market economy on the media industry
• negotiation and accommodation between the Party and the media industry
• the advancement of new media technologies, especially that of the internet, and its implications
• the impact of internationalisation of media for China
• the rise of Chinese media and the global flow of information
• China's expansion of overseas communications for the promotion of its soft power

This module considers the development of environmental and ecological political thought and how these relate to different forms of politics. It explores the relationship between deep ecology, environmental politics and different forms of anarchism, such as anarcho-primitivism and social ecology.

In addition it examines the 'ecological turn' as it has impacted upon feminism, Marxism, and right-wing thought. It also looks at the tensions between ecological politics and democracy, and at justifications for forms of environmental direct action. These strands of thought will be illustrated through application to specific policy areas such as climate change and species loss.

The module identifies and evaluates the role that Parliament plays in the political system. The module is both descriptive and analytical, comprising an introduction to Parliament (such as its place in the political process, the impact of party) and an investigation into the effectiveness or otherwise of its scrutiny and influence of selected sectors of government responsibility. 

It covers the process of legislation, scrutiny, and links with the public. The module also considers the role of the House of Lords.

This module studies the implications of the growing abuse of narcotics for the political system from both a national and international perspective. It will examine the production, consumption and trade in drugs as an international problem. 

The development of and issues associated with contemporary British drug policy will be explored and the theoretical questions raised by drug control policy will be examined.  

Questions relating to nationalism and ethnic conflict have become more prominent in political debate since the end of the Cold War, and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated the continuing importance of constitutional crafting as a means to manage ethnic diversity within states. 

This module evaluates differing definitions of the 'nation' and 'ethnic group', examines different state strategies to manage diversity such as multiculturalism, assimilation and integration, and considers different explanations of conflict between different ethnic groups. 

It then examines in more detail strategies adopted by particular states to manage their diversity. The countries of India, America, France, Afghanistan, the UK, and Germany are focused upon, but students are encouraged to use material relating to other countries if they have particular knowledge of these cases.

The module will look at a selection of science fiction novels and films from the standpoint of a student of political theory. In particular, it will consider the way in which works of literature and film have dealt with the issue of the relationships which exists between politics on the one hand and science/technology on the other.

This module involves a part-time placement (one day a week) in an external organisation, and is aimed at developing hands-on work experience and employability skills in a workplace relevant to students of politics. Pre-placement training will be provided via three half-day workshops at the beginning of the module.

Each placement will be arranged by the work placement officer. Placements will be provided by organisations involved in private, public and third sector organisations, such as the civil service, charities and political parties.

Departmental mentoring will take the form of a weekly drop-in tutorial with the module convenor, in which experiences are shared and work is undertaken on the assessment tasks. Group presentations will occur during the final four hour workshop, at which time each group will critically reflect on their experiences of the ethos and goals of their host organisation.

Our world is dominated by institutions of private property. Why? What justifies the existence of private property? Why should (these) owners own (this) property? What could justify vast disparities in the ownership of the world's finite resources? Why does (almost) nobody ask these questions? 

These are the issues that are explored in this module drawing on a wide range of texts and arguments, ancient and modern. 

This module will comprehensively deconstruct the causes, conduct and consequences of one of the most controversial wars of the modern era: the invasion and occupation of Iraq. It will assess how the road to war was paved at the United Nations and through the formulation of a 'coalition of the willing'. It will then critically evaluate how the swiftly concluded invasion of Iraq and toppling of Saddam Hussein gave way to a vicious insurgency.

The adaptation of the US military to the demands of counter-insurgency warfare will be analysed, as will British military performance in southern Iraq. The module will end by critically assessing the effectiveness of the 'surge' strategy under the implementation of Gen. David Petraeus, and evaluating the utility of 'analogical reasoning' through comparisons with the Vietnam War.