BSS154 Introduction to Study of Intelligence Services

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Petr Zeman (lecturer), prof. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
prof. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D.
Division of Security and Strategic Studies – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Timetable
Mon 18:00–19:30 U43
Prerequisites
POL104 Introduction into Pol. Sc. || BSS104 Methodology of SSS || MVE101 Introduction to Intl. Rel. || SOUHLAS
The course is taught at Bachelor study program. Prerequisites: BSS 101, or POL 104, or MVE 101; depending on students study field.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The main objectives of this course are: to be acquainted with basic concepts and procedures of intelligence activities in general and especially in the modern democratic society; to be informed of different intelligence services as a part of a executive branch of government and of their relationships with other governmental bodies in the frame of security of state. This course deals with basic terms, basic paradigms and methods of intelligence activities. Considerations of some problematic aspect of intelligence are outlined in the second half of this course: eg. ethic and legal questions; relation between intelligence professionals and politically partisan bodies; intelligence as a cultural phenomenon, etc. The course explains contemporary trends in transformations of intelligence services. At the end of this course student should be able to see intelligence without its "mythology" in more realistic manner.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction and frames of this course Preliminary definition of intelligence. Basic principles and limitations of intelligence. Intelligence studies as a part of security studies. 2. , 3. a 4. Typology of intell. services and their relations to other governmental bodies Basic differentiation of services: internal vs. external / civilian vs. military. Main targets and fields of interest (traditional and modern). Military intelligence. Counterintelligence. „Intelligence“ vs. „law enforcement“. Different intelligence systems abroad. Czech intell. services. 5. a 6. Methods of collection of intelligence OSINT, HUMINT, SIGINT and others. Their advantages and problems. Agent and informers. 7. Intelligence cycle and phase of analysis Procedures and problems. 8. Transformation of nature of intell. services in the last 35 years From 70-ties to the end of Cold War. Subsequent development and changes after 9/11. Contemporary and future trends. 9. Legal affairs, legal statutes and accountability. External oversight on intell. services. So called "failures of intelligence". 10. Intelligence and practice of international relations. Foreign affairs service vs. external intell. services. Intelligence vs. media. Disinformation. So called "covert actions". 11. Ethics in intelligence. Superstitions on intell. services. Conspiracy theorists. 12. Reserve 13. Intelligence and its image in fiction and pop culture. Literature Basic (cca 200 pp. in Czech and cca 150 pp. in English) and attached literature is changing and is chosen every year again a newly. In the first weeks of this course will be completely available in electronic form.
Literature
  • Extended valid List of literature is in the IS MU
  • Základní (v rozsahu cca 200 stran v~češtině a cca 150 stran v~angličtině) i rozšiřující (tj. doporučená) studijní literatura se každoročně vybírá znovu a jinak a bývá během prvých týdnů kursu vyvěšena in extenso na elektronické studovně.
  • Who's watching the spies? : establishing intelligence service accountability. Edited by H. Born - I. Leigh - Loch K. Johnson. 1st ed. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2005, xv, 255. ISBN 157488896X. URL info
  • WILLIAMS, Kieran and Dennis DELETANT. Security intelligence services in new democracies : the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. New York: Palgrave, in association with the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College, London, 2001, ix, 291. ISBN 0333713729. URL info
Assessment methods
Students are bound to undergo subsequently 1) short written test on terminology; 2) then homework - short essay; 3) then longer homework essay; after the course 4) oral examination.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Pro studenty politologie je podmínkou absolutorium POL104, pro studenty mezinárodních vztahů je podmínkou absolutorium MVE 101. O zápisu studentů jiných oborů rozhoduje vyučující.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2008/BSS154