What will I learn on this module?
What were the social, cultural and political consequences of war? How have people analysed war, and how have they tried to prevent or end violent conflicts? The module invites you to explore these questions from a variety of angles, drawing on approaches from political history, cultural history and the history of ideas. We will address debates on, and experiences of, war and peace in different historical contexts – from the early modern period to the contemporary world.
The module is divided into three parts: ‘Theories and Thinkers’, ‘Peace-Building in Practice’ and ‘Conflicts in Context’. In the first section, we will analyse influential theories of war and peace. The second section allows you to explore different attempts to create a more peaceful world, encompassing high-level diplomacy, the work of international organisations such as the League of Nations as well as the campaigns waged by peace activists. In the final section of the module, we investigate different types of conflict, from civil war to total war.
How will I learn on this module?
Each of the three main module parts comprises three or four sessions that will allow for in-depth engagement with particular ideas and texts.
If you are an onsite student, you will learn by taking part in weekly seminars that focus on key themes and debates relating to war and peace. You will be expected to prepare for the weekly seminars by undertaking selected reading relating to the weekly theme, and seminar discussions will enable you to build on the independent reading you have done beforehand. You will receive feedback which will encourage and facilitate your learning: this will occur both informally (in seminars and other meetings) and through written comments on the assignments).
If you are studying the module by distance learning, you will learn by reading and contributing to the weekly discussion boards. You will be expected to prepare by undertaking selected reading relating to the weekly theme, and online discussions will enable you to build on the independent reading you have done beforehand. As the module progresses you will also complete a series of e-tivities, which will complement your learning and understanding of the module themes. You will receive feedback that will encourage and facilitate your learning: this will occur both informally (via the discussion board and other conversations) and through written comments on the assignments.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
Whether studying onsite or by distance learning, your academic development will be supported through engagement with your peers, academic tutors, and programme leaders. Group and individual discussions will allow specific issues to be addressed and to promote progress in academic development. The module tutor will be accessible within publicised feedback and consultation hours and/or via email. Your peers will provide you with a collaborative learning environment, and your programme leader will guide you through the requirements and expectations of your course. You will also be supported through individual engagement with the academic literature, lectures, and resources available on the eLearning Portal. Formative feedback will be on-going throughout seminar/discussion board activities and through assessment tasks.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate familiarity with key thinkers and key analyses of war and peace.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of different military conflicts, and their social / political impact.
3. Show an ability to analyse and compare the strategies of a range of peace movements.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
4. Display a capacity for independent work, for engaging with primary material and research literature in a sophisticated way, and for communicating your findings effectively in a way that conforms to scholarly and subject conventions.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Show clear engagement with themes that are of contemporary relevance, including the nature of different conflicts and peace building.
How will I be assessed?
This module is summatively assessed by:
1) two short essays (each of them weighted 20% and 1,500-words long), which will assess your knowledge of key thinkers on war and peace, and of episodes in the history of peace-building. [MLOs 1-3]
2) a research essay (60%, 4,000 words), which will test your knowledge of the nature, experience and impact of conflict. [MLOs 1-5]
You will have the opportunity to present your work in the seminars and will receive formative feedback from your lecturer in classroom discussions, debates, and tutorial sessions. Formative assessment will be written and verbal, and you will also receive feedback through engagement with your peers who will enable you to test your explanations about the nature of war and peace in historical perspective.
Pre-requisite(s)
N/A
Co-requisite(s)
N/A
Module abstract
Please find details of this module in the other sections provided.
Course info
Credits 30
Level of Study Postgraduate
Mode of Study 2 years Part Time (Distance Learning)
3 other options available
Department Humanities
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2025
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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