Peace and Conflict Studies (International Joint Award)

The module aims to introduce current thinking and practice in the field of conflict resolution, conflict management, and conflict transformation, including conflict prevention and peace-building. Can protracted violent conflicts be prevented, and how are they brought to an end? Is it possible to address the root causes of conflict? How do wider conflicts in the international system impact local and regional conflicts, and under what circumstances are conflicts transformed? What post-conflict reforms are necessary to build sustainable peace? We will explore these questions with reference to theories of conflict resolution, comparative studies, and case studies. Students will examine case studies from different regions to explore diverse approaches to peacebuilding and conflict resolution, and the complex interactions between local, national, and international actors. Moreover, through seminars, workshops, and practical exercises, students will develop skills in conflict resolution and project management essential for effective peacebuilding practice. The module will focus mainly on international and intra-state conflict. By the end of the module, students will be equipped with the knowledge, analytical tools, and practical skills to contribute meaningfully to peacebuilding initiatives in various conflict-affected contexts.

Asking questions about society is primary to the work of a social scientist. However, how we go about asking those questions is not straightforward. When planning reliable and generalisable research, many steps need to be taken to ensure robust results. This course provides students with the tools to do just that. The course introduces students to the logic and methods of social research, including the central topics in research design, understanding the methodological choices necessary when designing social research, and the realities of ensuring ethical research from the start. Throughout this process, students will be introduced to both the positivist and critical/interpretive debates behind social research. Additionally, both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered. This will prepare students to design a research proposal, including selecting appropriate methods, formulating a research plan which covers data collection and analysis, and ultimately allowing them to successfully conduct their own research.

This module is designed to offer MA students an opportunity to explore an advanced topic at the cutting edge of research. The module will invite students into the expertise and ongoing projects of the convening academic, situating them in key debates, foregrounding gaps in knowledge, and drawing out the most challenging problems confronting researchers. Students will work closely with academic staff and will benefit from individual feedback in a small group setting. The module will develop advanced critical and analytical skills in students, help them to understand the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge, and give them a unique insight into the research process.

Whenever we make a statement about international affairs and world politics, we rely on certain (often implicit) theoretical assumptions: about power, interests, identities, norms and how they relate to the behaviour of international actors. Whether we like it or not, we are ‘doomed’ to rely on theories. The starting point of this module is not that theories are the only possible and all-encompassing approach to the study of international affairs, but that they are helpful to understand, compare and critically evaluate interpretations of international issues: if we all use theoretical assumptions, we better make them explicit and understood, to make sure what exactly we are claiming. International Relations theories are not approached as strict categories with clear boundaries, but rather as a continuously evolving debate. The module does not attempt to give an encyclopaedic overview of all theories of International Relations, but rather to confront different views. The main objective is to understand the core differences between different theoretical approaches.

This course provides students with the understanding and skills necessary to use research, whether within a research career or outside of it. Building on other training in the details of specific methods, it focuses on two sets of broader questions. First, it critically analyses central concepts such as truth, power, ethics, and uncertainty in social research. When addressing these issues, the module engages with how they are dealt with and approached in qualitative and quantitative research. In the module students will engage actively with these issues and critically reflect upon their own views and how they apply them in their own research projects. We particularly discuss the difficulties of causal inference and generalisation, coming to conclusions from research reviews, and philosophical issues around ‘truth’ and values. Second, it looks at the link between research and action. In doing this, it goes from the very practical (how to ensure that your research is used by policymakers and/or practitioners, and to deal with the political pressures on researchers) to the conceptual (in what ways does evidence get used by wider society?) to the normative (should researchers be ‘critical’, and if so, what are their ethical obligations in doing this?).

This module will look at how ideas of resistance are translated into political action. What are the modalities, costs and consequences of this process? We will look at specific instances of resistance to political authority and examine the techniques of resistance employed, the assumptions that underpin these techniques, and the tensions and problems that arise as ideas are actualised in political reality. Studying historical and contemporary examples of resistance will help us reflect on the complex relationship between theory and practice in political reality.

This module explores the meaning of morality and justice in international politics. It critically engages the core themes of international ethics, including through the work of realist, communitarian, and cosmopolitan thinkers, as well as the just war tradition. Students then examine ethics in the context of key issues and practices in international relations, including war, humanitarian intervention, global inequality, the legacies of empire, and the promotion of human rights. These themes and issue areas are explored through grounded case studies that draw together ethical traditions with real-world circumstances. Throughout the course, we critically assess the roles and responsibilities of the state, international organisations, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organisations.

The module is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of the interconnectedness of politics and society in the Middle East and North Africa. The module covers various social and economic themes, and thus provides students with a wide-ranging perspective from which to analyse the political and social life of the region. Particular emphasis is placed on the nature and causes of conflict and political violence, and on the role of the relations between state, society, and the international community. The module is comparative in its essence and seeks to locate the MENA region within a global context, demonstrating how international trends and development affect the region, and how the region may affect these. The module covers a range of themes, including sectarian relations, political economy, authoritarianism and democracy, religion and politics, demographics, and the role of social media in protest movements.

Why is ethnic conflict so prevalent in Africa? What accounts for the fragility of institutions in some African states? Why have some African states failed to democratise whilst others have succeeded? How are African democracies different from Western democracies? And what issues arise in post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding in war-torn African societies? In this module, you will explore these questions within the broader context of post-colonial sub-Saharan African politics, with a particular focus on conflict and peacebuilding. In considering how legacies of colonialism continue to shape the nature of post-independence politics on the continent, we will look at colonial legacies, processes of state formation, and the nature and dynamics of political development at the national and local levels. We will also critically reflect on theories and concepts developed in the fields of comparative politics, peace and conflict research, and international relations and apply them to the study of Africa. In this module, you will gain solid foundations to the understanding of politics and conflict in Africa, which include colonial legacies, societal characteristics, and economic challenges that shape the politics of sub-Saharan African states today.

Qualitative methods allow us to explore and understand complex phenomena in-depth. They are particularly well-suited for situations where the aim is to gain insights into the meanings, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of individuals or groups.  

After this module you will have gained the ability to apply critical qualitative methods to complex social issues, skills that are highly sought after in the job market. During your studies on the module, you will get a chance to apply your skills on real-life issues, with deep critical skills leaving you with the experience of being able to apply these both digitally and in real life. 

This module focuses on the theory and practice of qualitative research and will give you a chance to develop and apply state of the art qualitative research methods skills.  The module allows you to apply your skills, readying you for using these as a researcher and in future employment. It explores the various aspects of using and collecting qualitative data, how to analyse your findings and to present them.  

The aim of the module is to illustrate a range of practical and advanced qualitative techniques while considering related problems of evidence and inference in qualitative analyses. You will be versed in a range of qualitative techniques in an interactive and real-life focused teaching and learning environment, and will have the opportunity to practice some of them, such as: 

• the theory and practice of interviewing and different varieties of interview;  

• focus groups;  

• oral history;  

• case study methods;  

• ethnographic theory and method;  

• action research;  

• critical discourse analysis;  

• narrative analysis;  

• visual methods. 

Quantitative research is a vital part of social science. Without understanding quantitative research and quantitative evidence, a substantial fraction of the social scientific literature will be closed to you. This module will teach you how to conduct quantitative research in the social sciences and how to interpret the findings of quantitative research. 

You will learn the fundamental principles that lie behind statistics and statistical techniques. You will also learn how to produce descriptive statistics, and how to use statistical techniques to examine relationships between social variables. You will also learn how to use regression methods to answer causal research questions.  

By completing this module you will be equipped both to interpret quantitative research conducted by others, and to carry out your own quantitative studies and describe them in a scientific format. You will also understand the limits of statistical techniques and what different kind of claims are (and are not) warranted by different kinds of statistical evidence.

The skills you learn on this module are highly sought after in the job market, in particular the ability to apply them to real life scenarios, and critically assessing which quantitative methods work to study a particular issue arising in your job. At Kent we are a leading social research methods team, working with government, third sector and private sector organisations who seek students with these skills.

This module focuses on the evolution of security studies as a discipline and its implications for practice. We examine a variety of theoretical and empirical materials that provide students with the basis for analysing pressing questions related to issues of war, security, and peace in the world today. This module thus provides a good grounding for understanding contemporary security challenges (such as conflict, gender-based insecurity, political violence, terrorism, arms proliferation, pandemics, and world order, among other issues) and our responses to them. It will engage with debates around the ‘broadening’ and ‘deepening’ agenda of security studies, which has extended the scope of security studies beyond the nation-state, to encompass the role of new security actors and emerging security concerns.

The purpose of the module is to develop an advanced understanding of the relationships between terrorism, counterterrorism, and human rights. The module begins by looking at the various methodological, theoretical, and definitional challenges associated with the study of terrorism. In doing so, it takes a particular interest in the relationship between knowledge and power and the context in which terrorism emerged as a subject of academic enquiry. Students then analyse terrorism, counterterrorism, and the role of the state through case studies drawn from the 20th and early 21st Centuries. Students are pressed to relate case studies to the broader methodological and theoretical debates explored in the first few weeks of the module.

What determines environmental outcomes and what are the obstacles to achieving pro-environmental outcomes? This module looks at the politics of global environmental change at the international, national, and individual levels. Whether it is global environmental governance, national environmental policy making, or individual attitudes and behaviour, we need to understand what motivates actors and how a combination of motivations, interests, and structure translate into environmental outcomes in various contexts and societies. This module provides you with the tools to explain the politics of global environmental change and environmental outcomes at the international, national, and individual levels. The module equips you to develop political strategies to improve environmental outcomes by considering, for example, the design of international environmental institutions, the role of leadership, mobilisation, and climate communication. This module also equips you to provide political advice based on the latest available (political) science related to global environmental issues. We consider among other issues global environmental governance, international leadership, the role of NGOs and lobbies in policy making, public support for environmental policy making, individual environmental attitudes and behaviour, and the nexus between environmental degradation and violent conflict

The resolution of deep-rooted international conflict remains a challenge to the rapidly evolving field of international conflict resolution. This module responds to this challenge by providing you with the opportunity to explore international conflict resolution methods such as mediation, negotiation, collaborative problem solving, and alternative dispute resolution. The approach is interdisciplinary and juxtaposes traditional approaches in conflict management with the scientific study of conflict and cooperation. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, role-plays, and practical exercises, you will develop essential negotiation and mediation skills while gaining a deeper understanding of conflict resolution processes. By the end of the module, you will be equipped to navigate complex negotiations and mediate disputes effectively in various professional settings.