POLIS 5005 - Strategic Cultures and Unconventional Conflict

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2018

The world system has been redefining itself in novel ways since the end of the Cold War. Terrorist attacks on New York, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Barcelona and London, as well as the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, have demonstrated the impact of these deadlier forms of power and fear that can have an impact on developed and developing countries alike. No longer is national security seen as a strictly military issue, as many other non-military factors are emerging in discussions on how to protect the political sovereignty of individual states. Governments find it increasingly difficult to counter the work of people-smugglers, narcotics traffickers and terrorist groups. These organisations are armed with large amounts of untraceable cash, easily accessible commercial technologies, and a new degree of ruthlessness (as demonstrated by the work of the modern terrorist). Ideology has, moreover, provided a further complication in this complex matrix: the willingness to die for a cause, a feature of modern political violence that can negate the ability of national governments to secure their international boundaries and the safety of their citizens within those borders. The diffuse and globalised nature of many of these transnational threats makes their operations difficult to decisively eliminate. Even relatively small or weak states and international actors, using conventional military means in unconventional ways, coupled with misinformation strategies that permeate modern communications, can significantly constrain the actions of larger, better-equipped military opponents. This course sets out to examine how strategic cultures and unconventional conflict are beginning to undermine the traditional discourse on global security and the instrumentalities of international power.

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Course Details

Course Code	POLIS 5005
Course	Strategic Cultures and Unconventional Conflict
Coordinating Unit	Politics and International Relations
Term	Semester 2
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 2 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	INST 5005
Restrictions	Available to GradCertIntSt, GradDipIntSt & MA(IntSt) students only
Assessment	1000 word minor essay (15%), oral presentation (15%), 5000 word - Hons or 7000 word - Masters research essay (70%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Mr David Olney

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

At the successful completion of this course, students will have:

1	A critical understanding of the origins and evolution of the concept of Strategic Culture
2	A critical understanding of different traditional/state-based conceptions of Strategic Culture
3	A critical understanding of the diverse challenges currently impacting on Civil-Military relations
4	A critical understanding of the ways in which threats are perceived and responses to them are shaped
5	A heightened awareness of the difficulty of defining and achieving security
6	A critical understanding of 最新糖心Vlog's position and role in regional and global security
7	The ability to critically evaluate written materials and political developments
8	The ability to produce coherent and well substantiated arguments
9	The ability to make clear and confident verbal presentations
10	The ability to express ideas confidently, thoughtfully and respectfully

Assessment Summary

No information currently available.

Assessment Detail

No information currently available.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

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SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the 最新糖心Vlog to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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