Armed Force and Society (P03142)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-P03142

This course explores the relationship between armed force and society, looking both at how military technology affects society, as well as at the ways that politics and other social interactions shape military technology. Theoretical perspectives will be exemplified through the extensive use of case studies, and no prior theoretical or specialist technical knowledge is required. Topics covered will include military procurement and the military-industrial complex, arms races, the role of testing and use in weapons development, nuclear weapons and deterrence, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the arms trade and the defence industry, liberal interventionism and the limits of ‘high-tech’ warfare, and terrorism.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Science), (School of Social and Political Science, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will have demonstrated through written work, oral presentations and other contributions in class, that they
- have a substantive knowledge and understanding of a selection of important policy and social issues with regard to the development and use of military technologies, and of the contending viewpoints and claims on these issues;
- can identify and characterise key approaches from social science disciplines and from interdisciplinary fields like science and technology studies to understanding and evaluating issues concerning military technology, and identify advantages, problems and implications of these approaches;
- can critically evaluate contributions to the academic, political and public debates on national security issues, and decisions on them;
- can identify, deploy and evaluate a selection of techniques and procedures used in defence policy analysis, decision-making and assessment;
- have developed their skills
- in finding and using arguments and information;
- in critically evaluating such material; and
- in essay writing and seminar presentation