module specification

This module is an opportunity for students to engage with the growing literature in this field, to learn about statutory obligations like the Prevent Duty and to critically analyse socio-political movements and state responses to those movements from a human rights perspective. This module will challenge students to think about the usefulness and operationalisation of particular concepts (extremism, radicalisation, terrorism, racism, fascism, and fundamentalism), it will provide a detailed analysis of current modes of radicalisation (face to face, online, offline, through networks and through institutions like prisons) and specific right wing or extremist formations (white supremacist, Christian Right, Muslim fundamentalism or Islamism, Zionism, Sikh and Hindu fundamentalism) and consider in detail the impact on specific groups of people (women/girls, children/young people, dissenters and minorities). The module will enable critical engagement with government responses and a comparative view of where the UK sits in relation to counter-radicalisation strategies in other countries.

The module aims are as follows:
• To consider and critically engage with key concepts;
• To provide an understanding of the ideological projects of the groups concerned and their mobilisation tactics;
• To nurture a human rights framework for responding to radicalisation;
• To encourage a comparative analysis of these formations;
• To encourage a comparative analysis of state and civil society responses.

This is a core module for the MSc Political Violence and Radicalisation Studies, the PGCert in Political Violence and Radicalisation Studies, and the PGDip in Political Violence and Radicalisation Studies. It will also contribute to teaching in Sociology, Criminology and Politics and International Relations. It provides an important foundation for anyone that wants to make a contribution to countering the rise of racism, fascism, fundamentalism and terrorism.

Definitions and framings: LO 1
This section will identify key government and international human rights definitions of extremism, radicalisation, terrorism, racism, fascism, and fundamentalism.Students will be encouraged to take a human rights approach to the module content as a whole, to see the connections between terror and torture, and make distinctions between security and securitisation, and also to distinguish between counter-radicalisation strategies based on human rights from those based on patriotism and neo-liberal governance.

Theories and modes of radicalisation: LO 2
The next stage of the module will outline and encourage students to critically engage with a range of synergistic and contrasting theories of radicalisation including, but not limited to, theories that rely on analyses of gangs/groups/networks, those that rely on assessments of individuals through lone wolf, disaffection, and mental health narratives, to those that rely on critiques of structural relations of power (class, race, gender), and those that explain radicalisation as a response tostate violations and global imperial power by highlighting foreign policy and the crackdown on political dissent. At this stage, we will also discuss the government’s Vulnerability Assessment Framework as well as modes of radicalisation - virtual/online, through networks, and through particular institutions including prisons.

Understanding specific movements: LO 3 and LO 5
The third stage of the module introduces students to a range of movements and organisations considered ‘extremist’, working on a weekly basis through discussions of neo-fascist and white supremacist organisations; Christian fundamentalism / the Christian Right; Islamism/Muslim fundamentalism; and Zionism, Sikh fundamentalism and Hindu fundamentalism.This focus on specific groups and tendencies will also draw attention to what is known about the scale, prevalence and mobilisation tactics of these movements, their similarities and differences.

Impact on specific groups of people: LO 4 and LO 5
Fascist and fundamentalist movements share a common interest in controlling women/girls, children/young people; and dissenting voices or minorities within their communities. This section focuses specifically on the comparable (and contrasting) features of these impacts and, given the introduction of the Prevent Duty, Channel Panels and the Vulnerability Assessment Framework, encourages students to consider whether these are appropriate and useful frameworks for the state’s response and its duty to protect these groups.

Counter-radicalisation LO 5
This final stage of the module considers both state and non-state responses and also draws on international comparisons to assess the impact of UK policy agendas on other countries (notably USA, Australia, Spain and France), similarities and differences in global responses on this issue. On state responses we will look closely at UK policies - Prevent, Channel, and Counter-Terrorism legislation – as well as the use of disruption techniques and other policing responses. For non-state responses, we will discuss case examples of community-based responses in the UK and in other countries.

Student-led seminars: LO 2 and LO 3
Students will be required to read alongside the weekly lectures but also two specific evenings will be devoted to student presentations on their own in-depth research on particular formations and organisations including those involved in anti-radicalisation (anti-fascist and anti-fundamentalist) work.

Guest speakers: LO 2 and LO 3
People working within this growing anti-radicalisation and safeguarding industry will be invited to speak about their different approaches and provide information on work in this field.

This module is delivered as a two hour lecture/seminar every week with additional tutorial time for each student. Students will be required to prepare for lectures by reading the core texts every week and participate in two student-led seminar evenings. In addition to this, students are expected to engage in independent study to prepare for and write their assignments, though tutorial space will be made available to feedback on ideas for case studies and essay plans. Students are encouraged to engage with anti-radicalisation, anti-fascist, and anti-fundamentalist organisations to learn from their work and expand their networks and skills for future employability.The teaching methods will include groupwork, lectures, guest lectures, workshops, and appraisal of audio-visual material. Recommended reading will be available to support each session. Additional electronic material and useful websites will be made available via Weblearn.

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

1. Explain and critique key concepts;
2. Describe and evaluate key theories and modes of radicalisation;
3. Identify and describe supremacist and authoritarian political formations, their ideological projects and any knowledge of their prevalence;
4. Explain the impacts of these formations on specific groups of people;
5. Identify and evaluate strategies for counter-radicalisation.

Students will be assessed through two written pieces of coursework. The first is a Case Study write up of 1000 words which requires students to develop their knowledge of the key concepts on the course and look in detail at either an organisation involved in radicalisation or one that is involved in counter-radicalisation work. This exercise will enable students to specialise in a particular area and develop the knowledge required for possible work after the Master’s programme. The second assignment is an Essay of up to 2,500 words. Students will select their essay question from a list of questions but may also identify a separate question as long as it is answer-able and enables them to meet a range of learning outcomes, in depth and comparative knowledge of the field.

Students must pass on aggregate.

dentify core and additional reading
Liaise with Library Services to confirm availability of on-line licenses in academic year

Where possible, the most current version of reading materials is used during the delivery of this module. Comprehensive reading lists are provided to students in their handbooks.  Reading Lists will be updated annually.

Textbooks:

Core Text:
Aly, A., Macdonald, S., Jarvis, L and Chen, T.M. (eds) (2016) Violent Extremism Online: New Perspectives on Terrorism and the Internet. Routledge: Abingdon, Oxon.
https://www.routledge.com/product/isbn/9781138498556?source=igodigital

Bennoune, K. (2008) Terror/Torture. Berkeley Journal of International Law, 26 (1), pp. 1-61. https://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1348&context=bjil

Bhatt, C. (1997) Liberation and Purity: race, new religious movements and the ethics of postmodernity. London: Routledge.https://www.routledge.com/Liberation-And-Purity-Race-Religious-Movements-And-The-Ethics-Of-Postmodernity/Chetan-Southampton/p/book/9781857284249

Dhaliwal, S., Durand, R. and Cowden, S. (2019) Special Issue on Prevent, Feminist Dissent, Issue 4. Forthcoming.

Fielitz, M. and Thurston, N. (2019) (eds) Post Digital Cultures of the Far Right: Online Actions in Europe and USA. Transcript Verlag: Bielefeld. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Post-Digital-Cultures-Far-Right-Consequences/dp/383764670X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1550532068&sr=1-1&keywords=Fielitz

Khosrokhavar, F. and Todd, J.M. (2015) Radicalisation: Why Some People Choose the Path of Violence. The New Press: New York. https://thenewpress.com/books/radicalization

Thomas, P. (2012) Responding to the threat of extremism: Failing to Prevent. Bloomsbury: London.https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/responding-to-the-threat-of-violent-extremism-9781849665254/

Other Texts:
Kundnani, A. (2012) Radicalisation: the journey of a concept, Race and Class, 54(2), pp. 3–25. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0306396812454984

Lowe, D. (2017) Prevent strategies: The problems associated in defining extremism: The case of the United Kingdom, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Volume 40 (11), pp. 917 – 933. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1057610X.2016.1253941?src=recsys

Martin, T. (2014) Governing an unknowable future: the politics of Britain’s Prevent Policy, Critical Studies on Terrorism, 7(1), pp. 62–78. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17539153.2014.881200

Mythen, G., Walklate, S., and Peatfield, E-J. (2017) Assembling and deconstructing radicalisation in PREVENT: A case of policy-based evidence making?Critical Social Policy, 37(2), pp. 180–201. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0261018316683463

Sageman, M. (2017) Turning to Political Violence: The Emergence of Terrorism. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-Political-Violence-Emergence-Terrorism/dp/0812248775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550535305&sr=8-1&keywords=marc+sageman

Schmid, A. (2013) Radicalisation, De-radicalisation, Counter-radicalisation: A Conceptual Discussion and Literature Review. The Hague: ICCT Research Paper. Available at: https://www.icct.nl/download/file/ICCT-Schmid-Radicalisation-De-Radicalisation-Counter-Radicalisation-March-2013.pdf

Journals:
British Journal of Social Work
Child Abuse Review
Critical Social Policy
Critical Studies on Terrorism
Ethnic and Racial Studies
Feminist Dissent: a new journal on gender and fundamentalism
Identities journal
International Sociology
Sociology of Human Rights
Terrorism and Political Violence

Electronic Databases:
Academic Search Complete
Care Knowledge
JSTOR
Lexis Library
Oxford Journals Archive
Sage Journals online
Science Direct
Social Care Online
Web of Science
Zetoc

Websites:
Hope not Hate
Searchlight
Centre for Secular Space
WARN
Statewatch
Open democracy