Course coordinator
Associate Professor Heloise Weber
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
That security and development are intricately linked may be a common assumption widely shared. However, there are competing approaches to understanding how security and development may be related to one another, and these in turn are contingent upon how security and development are conceptualised.
In this course we familiarise ourselves with new conceptual and methodological approaches aimed at understanding and explaining not only the co-constitution of development and security, but also contexts in which development creates insecurities, or in which security police has adverse implications for development aspirations. By investigating case examples from both, historical and contemporary contexts and settings, we critically examine the many connections and tensions associated with the pursuit of development and security objectives. Topics we cover include Human Security, anticolonial struggles over security and development, the politics and political economy of Fragile States, extractivism and insecurity, the migration-prison industrial complex, authoritarian populism, and 'Zapatismo'.
Security and development are intricately linked. There are competing approaches to the relationship between security and development, which in turn are contingent upon how security and development are conceptualized. In this course, we familiarize ourselves with critical conceptual and methodological approaches aimed at understanding and explaining not only the co-constitution of development and security, but also contexts in which development creates insecurities, or in which security policy has adverse implications for development aspirations. Through examples from both, historical and contemporary contexts, we critically examine connections and tensions between development and security. Among the topics we cover are ‘fragile states’, human security, conflict minerals, authoritarian populism and colonial legacies and continuities of security and development, and ‘Zapatismo’.
After completing this course you will be able to analyze complex situations in which experiences of (in)security are conditioned by, or condition development aspirations or practices. You will also be in a position to work towards achieving development and security in more just and sustainable ways.
Handling Challenging Content
Courses in Political Science and related disciplines (such as International Relations, or Peace and Conflict Studies) deal with a wide range of human relations, and will cover issues, incidents and problems that are controversial, and that can be challenging to confront emotionally and intellectually. In the rare case that student participants experience extreme discomfort, or traumatic episodes, we strongly encourage you to take care of yourself by leaving the classroom, and by following up in getting assistance, if needed (Student Support Services will readily help!).
Course requirements
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
8 units of postgraduate POLS-coded courses
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Associate Professor Heloise Weber
Tutor
Mrs Sara Mejia Munoz
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course offers critical insights on the relationship between security and development. It will establish competingﾠapproaches to the relationship between security and development, which in turn are contingent upon how security and development are conceptualized. The course aims to develop an appreciation of criticalﾠconceptual and methodological approaches toﾠunderstanding and explaining not only the co-constitution of development and security, but also contexts in which development creates insecurities, or in which security policy has adverse implications for development aspirations. Through investigating case examples from both, historical and contemporary contexts and settings, we aim to critically examine the many connections and tensions between development and security.ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Appreciate the complex and dynamic interplay between development and security in global politics.
LO2.
Critically analyse social and political challenges around the security-development nexus at project and policy levels.
LO3.
Critically evaluate policy and doctrinal responses to the merging of security and development.
LO4.
Critically examine and analyse case examples of security and development.
LO5.
Reconstruct and critically evaluate competing approaches to the link between security and development.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique | First Essay (between 1800 and 2000 words) | 40% |
11/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique |
Political Analysis of Movements, Organisations and States - (between 2800 and 3000 words)
|
60% |
29/05/2025 4:00 pm
Draft to be completed two weeks before the due date. |
Assessment details
First Essay (between 1800 and 2000 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
11/04/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Essay Questions: You will be provided a list of essay questions and you will be required answer one question from this list. The required word length is between 1800 and 2000 words.
For your essay, you have to engage with the required as well as recommended readings for POLS7302, in addition to any other academic input you find in your research. Your essay should be written as a well-integrated and consistently argued analysis and engage with the topic in the context of how this is explored and discussed in our course. Avoid serialising self-contained paragraphs, and make sure you reference appropriately throughout, especially with regard to providing full details (including page numbers) where you cite or refer to specific points in your sources.
Please note that submissions have to be made via the designated Turnitin Link (Blackboard), using Word-encoding (.doc, or .docx extensions); .pdf files are not acceptable!!!
Word count: Please ensure that you provide a word count at the end of your essay excluding the bibliographic list.
The essay should demonstrate a high standard of grammar, spelling and general presentation and conform to the standards set out in the School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
See task description.
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please see policy guidelines for extension-requests in this course profile.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Political Analysis of Movements, Organisations and States - (between 2800 and 3000 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
29/05/2025 4:00 pm
Draft to be completed two weeks before the due date.
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Essay Questions: You will be provided a list of essay questions and you will be required answer one question from this list. The required word length is between 2800 and 3000 words.
For your essay, you have to engage with the required as well as recommended readings for POLS7302, in addition to any other academic input you find in your research. Your essay should be written as a well-integrated and consistently argued analysis and engage with the topic in the context of how this is explored and discussed in our course. Avoid serialising self-contained paragraphs, and make sure you reference appropriately throughout, especially with regard to providing full details (including page numbers) where you cite or refer to specific points in your sources.
Presentation: Your essay must be typed (1.5-line-spaced) fully referenced and include a bibliographic list. You are required to use the author-date in-text referencing system.
Please note that submissions have to be made via the designated Turnitin Link (Blackboard), using Word-encoding( .doc, or .docx extensions); .pdf files are not acceptable!!!
Word count: Please ensure that you provide a word count at the end of your essay excluding the bibliographic list.
The essay should demonstrate a high standard of grammar, spelling and general presentation and conform to the standards set out in the School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Please see Task Description.
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please see policy guidelines for extension-requests in this course profile.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | <p>0</p> - |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>The student does notﾠaddress the question, shows no evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand.</p> |
| 2 (Fail) | <p>0</p> - |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>The studentﾠaddresses the question poorly and showsﾠvery little evidence of reading.</p> |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: <p>The student makes an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay andﾠemploys some research which is correlated with the argument. Makes a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flowﾠappears throughout the assignment. The studentﾠaddresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However,ﾠfalls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass.</p> |
| 4 (Pass) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>The student makes a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument andﾠemploys an adequate research base to support the argument. Achieves a reasonable, if not completely coherent standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A recognisable narrative flow is sustained throughout the essay. The studentﾠanswers the question and shows evidence of adequate research and a degree of understanding of the issues at hand.</p> |
| 5 (Credit) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>The studentﾠprovides suitable evidence to support an argument andﾠemploys a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic, though it may not completely support the argument. Achieves decent levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers the question in a direct, well supported fashion and shows evidence of some wide reading and a reasonable understanding of the issues at hand.</p> |
| 6 (Distinction) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>The studentﾠdemonstrates a very good grasp of the chosen topic andﾠprovides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The studentﾠemploys a reasonably extensive and well-organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employs wide research and shows a sound understanding of the issues at hand.</p> |
| 7 (High Distinction) | <p>0</p> - |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>The studentﾠdemonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic andﾠsucceeds in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The studentﾠemploys an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument andﾠachieves impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers the question in a direct and elegant fashion, employs significant research and shows a deep understanding of the issues at hand.</p> |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be awarded on the following basis:
1.ﾠFailﾠ 1 - 19%
2. Failﾠ 20 - 44%
3. Failﾠ 45 – 49%
4. Passﾠ 50 - 64 %
5. Creditﾠ 65 - 74 %
6. Distinctionﾠ 75 - 84 %
7. High Distinctionﾠ 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the upper word limit. If your written submission is over this leeway limit, it will attract a 10 percentage point penalty. For example, if your essay is 1,500 words, you may write up to 1,650 before attracting a word count penalty. If your essay exceeds the upper word limit, it will attract a 10% word count penalty. Therefore, if your essay is worth 40 marks, you will lose 4 marks from your allotted grade. Unless specified, penalties only apply to exceeding the word length, not for failure to write a sufficient amount.
Students should note:
• The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length;
• References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Seminar |
Welcome and Introduction to the Course Introduction to the course themes, topics, and modalities. We will establish some preliminaries on how to think about the relationship between security and development. Questions that will help us open this topic include: Who is the referent of security and development? For instance, are they states or peoples or both? What changes and why, depending on how we conceptualize security and development? Why should we critically engage with underlying assumptions of approaches to security and development? How are insecurities and inequalities thought of in relation to security and development? Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Seminar |
Security & Development: An overview (Guest Lecture) In this session, we introduce and engage with two different accounts of security and development. The Seminar will be led by the guest lecturer, Sara Mejia-Munoz. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Seminar |
Development and Security: Modernization Theory Modernization Theory and its Influence Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Seminar |
Inequality and Insecurity: The Critique of Modernization Theory In today's session, we critically interrogate the premises and implications of how MT frames and determines 'order', 'security', and 'development'. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Seminar |
In/securities and Colonialism What can we learn about security and development from anti-colonial struggles? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Seminar |
The security-development nexus: 'fragile states' The contemporary security-development nexus: the case of ﾑfragile statesﾒ Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
General contact hours |
Independent Study This week is 'Independent Study'-week to provide you with extra time to focus on your assignment. Please make sure that you have understood the task as outlined in the 'Assessment' Section of your course profile. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Seminar |
Human Security and Development To what extent is Human Security an alternative approach to security and development? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
MID-SEMESTER BREAK NO SEMINAR THIS WEEK |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Seminar |
Extractivism and development Extractivism, transnational corporations, development and insecurities Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Seminar |
Borders and migration, in/security and development Movement, risk and markets: politics around borders. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Seminar |
Authoritarian Populism Over the past decades there has been a growing body of research on the link between neoliberal development and tendencies towards authoritarian rule in countries in the North and the South. This dynamic has also been identified in terms of neoliberal populism and also 'racist populism'. This week we explore debates through examples, identifying differences and similarities, and how such rule is justified. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Seminar |
Development 'revolutionaries': Zapatismo Development ﾑrevolutionariesﾒ: the example of Zapatismo Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Seminar |
Security and development: wrap-up & outlook Critical reflections on security and development: wrap up and outlook Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.