electiveHQ

This aim of this module is to examine piracy from a variety of perspectives to gain an understanding of its origins and characteristics in major periods of world history. A central feature of the module will be the critical evaluation of political, historical and literary discourses on piracy, from ancient times to the present, focussing on the most important areas of scholarly debate. These include: changes in the ways that piracy and pirates were defined; the development of state-sanctioned forms of maritime violence; the impact of piracy on particular economies and societies; the efforts of nation-states to control or suppress piracy; the portrayal of pirates in different cultures.