PO1POP: The Politics of Peace

Module code: PO1POP

Module provider: Politics; School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Amanda Hall, email: amanda.hall@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 26 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

“Peace” is often identified as a shared goal within the global community, driving both international and domestic politics as leaders, communities, and individuals reach toward this shared goal. But what is “peace”, and why is it so challenging to achieve and maintain? Is it enough to reach a negotiated settlement, or is more widespread change required? Does peace look different after an interstate war than after a civil conflict? What explains why some peace agreements last, while others fail? How do we make sense of the growing “in-between” of peace and violence, where war may not be declared by insecurity remains? These are some of the puzzles the module will address, drawing from a range of both historical and contemporary examples to help put theory into practice.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Evaluate different goals and types of peace in the international system;
2. Analyse challenges to building and maintaining peace in comparative perspective;
3. Identify the main theoretical approaches to the study of peace in international relations;
4. Present material, orally and in writing, in a coherent and well-structured form.

Module content

The module introduces students to the academic study of peace in international relations. It addresses the central debates in both theory and practice, drawing from historical and contemporary examples. It considers variations in how peace is defined, implemented, and maintained across contexts and in relation to different kinds of conflict. The module allows students to develop critical and analytical skills through engagement with a range of literature, drawn from both academic research and lived experiences.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be taught through a combination of lectures, which principally serve to introduce core content, and seminars, which provide an opportunity for more in-depth debate and discussion.

Study hours

At least 22 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs