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IR2200   Violent Mobilisation in a Digital Age

Academic year(s): 2025-2026

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 5

ECTS credits : 2

Level : SCQF level 8

Semester: 2

Availability restrictions: This module is not open to students matriculated on a University degree programme.

Planned timetable: N/A

Violent extremism, radicalisation, and counter-extremism are rapidly growing areas of scholarship and practice which are increasingly difficult to separate from the digital environments in which they often play out. This course introduces students to the main debates across these areas to provide a foundational understanding for those interested in learning more about violent mobilisation. The course will address the persistently high profile of extremism and radicalisation by providing an overall introduction to the debates around radicalisation and counter-radicalisation that will complement the other short courses focused on more discrete areas of scholarship such as the role of ideology or lone actors. Foregrounding the role of the digital environment, the course will draw on a vibrant and growing body of research which explores how technological change has created new sites for violent extremism and produced new forms of counter-terrorism response.

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: N/A

Scheduled learning hours: 0

Guided independent study hours: 51

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: Coursework = 100%

As defined by QAA
Written examinations : 0%
Practical examinations : 0%
Coursework: 100%

Re-assessment: Coursework = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr S V Marsden
Module teaching staff: Dr Sarah Marsden
Module coordinator email sm992@st-andrews.ac.uk

Intended learning outcomes

  • Discuss how radicalisation has been conceptualised
  • Describe how radicalisation and deradicalisation have been explained
  • Evaluate claims about the role of the online space in radicalisation processes
  • Identify the ethical issues implicated in counter-radicalisation policy and practice
  • Debate the appropriateness of counter-radicalisation policies