Armed Force and Society (SY0043)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : SPS-3-SYAFS

This course explores the relationship between armed force and society. A main focus will be on the on the role of technology in the politics and social dynamics of armed conflict. As we see in many areas of the world for example Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo, Israel and its neighbours military conflicts come in many varieties but with similarly devastating results. Moreover, the ramifications of such conflicts are not restricted to these areas. UK military personnel are more involved in conflict than for many years. Terrorism constitutes a domestic threat for which technology (baggage screening, biometrics) is seen to provide a solution. And spending on defence continues to impose an economic burden on societies throughout he world, with the military-industrial complex a central component of the manufacturing capacity of nations such as the UK. Technology, whether it be machetes or nuclear weapons, lies at the heart of conflict, and this course uses a range of perspectives, to investigate the nature and impact of armed force. These theoretical perspectives will be exemplified through the extensive use of case studies, and no prior theoretical or specialist technical knowledge is required.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

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

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

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

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

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
13/01/2009	14:00	15:50	Room B.01, Chrystal Macmillan Building	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	15:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes being sought are that at the end of the course you will be familiar with and be able to discuss:

1. How the fog of war increases the scope for social and political factors to shape knowledge of the effects of military technology;

2. The tendency to prepare to fight the last war, and how this shapes the design and interpretation of testing in weapons development;

3. The role that politics, and especially bureaucratic politics, play in the development of weapons systems;

4. The debate over the increasing use of high technology by the military, including what has been termed cyberwar, and the question of whether these high-tech approaches are effective;

5. The notion of a military-industrial complex, and to what extent the arms industries of industrialised nations are responsible for conflict around the world;

6. The legacy of the Cold War and the reliance on nuclear deterrence;

7. The factors that contribute to the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and the options for preventing this;

8. The terrorist threat, and to what extent technology can help stop it.