PO3ICC: International Competition and Conflict

Module code: PO3ICC

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

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: 6

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Derek Bolton, email: derek.bolton@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: No

Last updated: 26 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module affords students the opportunity to undertake a deeper and more critical examination into the sources of conflict and competition in international politics. Specifically, this module moves to examine the various social drivers that scholars have explored as being at the heart of international conflict and competition. For illustrative purposes this might include examining the role and place of: ‘religion’, status, ideology, identity, ontological security, sacred places, self-images, etc. The module also considers and explores some of the social mechanisms through which conflict and competition can be pursued – for example through information warfare. Throughout the module, we will explore these different ideas within the context of historical and contemporary cases – from the ‘Wars of Religion’ through to the present day.

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Understand different formulations regarding the social drivers of international competition and conflict
2. Develop in-depth knowledge regarding the proposed analytical benefits of incorporating social variables into analysis of international competition and conflict
3. Evaluate the utility of theories exploring social variables in comparison to more conventional approaches
4. Apply theories around, for example, identity, ideology, and ontological security when analysing specific cases
5. Conceptualize how theoretical assumptions come to inform the arguments we find in academic works or policy briefs 
6. Compose, compare, and evaluate policy recommendations that build from more conventional and more social frameworks of analysis

Module content

Although subject to change, the topics to be addressed in the module can include: 

1. Wars of Religion – the myth of ‘rational secular’ conflict
2. Revolutionary Europe – regime change on ideological grounds
3. Revisionism in WWI & WWII – competing for status
4. Sino-Soviet Split – competition over ideological leadership
5. North Korea in the Cold War – national identity driving competition/conflict
6. Japan and Germany Underbalancing – national identity constraining competition/conflict
7. Kosovo and Serbia – conflict over ‘sacred’ places
8. From Yugoslavia to Ukraine – international images and conflict
9. Information Warfare –enflaming/preventing conflict
10. Liberalism and Civilizationalism – social mechanisms of conflict

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will involve one 2-hour lecture, nine 2-hour seminars, and one 2.5-hour practical class/workshop. The seminars will entail a combination of more structured and formal discussions led by the lecturer and more informal student led conversations reflecting upon the weekly topics. Students will prepare for seminars by being divided into groups, each with a different set of readings that they will discuss with each other and then provide a brief overview of to the wider seminar. The lecturer will then provide a more detailed engagement with the topics of the week before opening up to wider reflections and questions. The 3-hour workshop will see groups take turns presenting their policy recommendations regarding a specific case study.

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.

Students are heavily encouraged to create (i) an essay plan and (ii) a policy brief plan and use these as the basis for discussion with Dr. Graham O’Dwyer on how they intend to answer both pieces of coursework for the module.  

Reassessment

Additional costs