Admission requirements
Required course(s):
None.
Description
Why do conflicts between groups erupt? Some of these conflicts escalate and turn violent, resulting in massive suffering and destruction. What might explain this phenomenon? Individuals seek to maximize their benefits and opportunities while minimizing potential costs or harm. They are likely to tolerate conflict as long as it doesn’t impede their everyday activities. However, when a conflict escalates to the brink of war, the devastating consequences are rarely in anyone's interest. And yet, such conflicts persist. Last year alone, fatalities from organized violence surged by an astonishing 97%, from 120,000 in 2021 to 237,000 in 2022, making 2022 the deadliest year since the Rwandan genocide in 1994 (Davies et al., 2022).
The overarching questions this course aims to address are: Under what conditions do conflicts between groups of people erupt and escalate? What roles do inequality, political exclusion, ideology, and international intervention play in conflict escalation? What defines successful peacebuilding? How can both local and international actors contribute to peacebuilding efforts? This course introduces answers to these questions from the field of peace and conflict studies, which draws on political science, sociology, economics, anthropology, psychology, and other disciplines. We explore how the escalation of intergroup conflicts is influenced by:
Grievances related to inequalities between groups
Grievances stemming from political exclusion
Ideology
External influence and intervention
In addition to understanding escalation processes, we will explore why certain conflicts do not escalate to the point of two-sided violence. In the concluding part of the course, topics such as civil resistance, conflict resolution, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding efforts will be examined.
Course Objectives
The primary objective of this course is to equip students with conflict analysis skills. Upon successful completion, students should achieve the following five learning outcomes (LOs):
Apply concepts and theories related to conflict dynamics, escalation processes, and responses to conflict to explain developments in specific inter-group conflicts.
Compare and contrast different types of conflicts and the actors involved.
Understand and articulate the reasons conflicts between groups arise and escalate, and how these causes may be interrelated.
Discuss the challenges and dilemmas faced by actors operating in conflict zones and those attempting to establish peace.
Develop writing, presentation, listening, critical thinking, and teamwork skills.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2024-2025 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
There are two primary teaching methods employed in this course: lectures and tutorials.
Lectures: The instructor will deliver a lecture based on the required reading once a week. Each lecture will offer an overview of the topic designated for that week. Every class will commence with a short question-and-answer session pertaining to the readings or previous lectures. This will be followed by the main lecture content for the day. At the conclusion of each lecture, there will also be a brief opportunity for students to ask questions. Students are encouraged to come prepared, ready to engage with the instructor, peers, and the discussed materials. PowerPoint slides from lectures will be available on Brightspace.
Tutorials: The instructor's lectures, presentations, readings, and in-class debates will be supplemented by tutorials. Tutorials aim to provide a platform for students to share their insights and ideas in a seminar format. Tutorials typically embrace the Socratic method. In this approach, a student presents their findings, and the professor rigorously questions their assumptions, actively involving other students in the discussion. This means that students are expected to have done the required readings BEFORE the tutorial session and to be fully prepared for an extensive discussion on them. Participation in the tutorial will be assessed using specific criteria. Speakers must provide accurate explanations of key concepts and theories using relevant literature. They should apply theories to case studies to highlight issues. Listeners should gain insights from the presentation. The presentation must be clear, logical, and well-organized. The audience should easily follow the line of reasoning. The presentation should be interactive and not just a reading of a paper. It should be paced for audience understanding. Speakers should be comfortable presenting and be audible to everyone. Tutorials will focus on the designated readings and the primary questions noted under the weekly topics. More details are available in the syllabus.
Assessment Method
There are four requirements for this course:
Research Essay: 40%
Tutorial Presentation: 15%
Response Paper: 30%
Reflection Paper: 15%
Reading list
TBA
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Ayokunu Adedokun, a.b.adedokun@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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