CONFLICT STUDIES - IRS506 Spring 2024
Course
Lessons
Here is the course outline:
1. Introduction to course; Atrocities in early history
Feb 8 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Introduction to the concepts and theories used during the course |
2. Genocide; Mass Killings
Feb 15 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Genocides and mass killings in contemporary times |
3. Conflict in Historical Perspective
Feb 22 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
State repression in history |
4. Comparative Data Analysis
Feb 29 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Introduction to descriptive statistical analyses |
5. Human Rights Violations
Mar 7 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Cross-national and national-level Human Rights violations. Student presentation of Poe and Tate article (1994) |
6. State Repression and Security Force Defection
Mar 14 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Compare and contrast successful and failed revolutionary attempts and regime transitions. Student presentation of Anisin's article (2020): "The Revolutions of 1989 and Defection in Warsaw Pact States" |
7. Covert Regime Change
Mar 21 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Identify historical and contemporary cases of foreign involvement in domestic politics within the context of revolutionary transitions. Student presentation of "The colonial roots of structural coup-proofing", by Mehrl & Choulis (2021) |
8. Democratic Peace Theory
Apr 4 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Introduction to the origins of one of IR’s most significant and controversial theories. Student presentation of Kant's text: "Toward Perpetual Peace" |
9. Schelling's Strategy of Conflict
Apr 11 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Identify the utility of game theoretic approaches to the study of conflict and nuclear proliferation. Student presentation of McManus' article (2019): "Revisiting the Madman Theory" |
10. Terrorism
Apr 18 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Film - The Battle of Algiers. Student presentation of Abrahms' article (2006): "Why Terrorism Does Not Work". |
11. Civil War
Apr 25 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Unpack the nature of civil war, its mechanisms, and identify zones of control. Student presentation of Sambanis' article (2004): "What is Civil War?" |
12. The Resource Curse and Natural Resource Based Conflicts
May 2 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Student presentation of Humphreys' article (2005): "Natural Resources, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution". |
13. Future Forms of Conflict: Cyber Attacks and the Digital Front
May 9 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Identify the vast new terrain of cyber conflict. Focus placed on Syria and Ukraine. |
14. Course overview
May 16 2:45pm .. 5:30pm, 2.19
Final examination |