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Lehrende: Prof. Dr. Steffen Eckhard
Veranstaltungsart:
Seminar
Orga-Einheit: Politics, Administration & International Relations
Anzeige im Stundenplan:
VSPAIR_I
Semesterwochenstunden:
3
Credits:
9,0
Hinweis: In Ihrer Prüfungsordnung können abweichende Credits festgelegt sein.
Standort:
Campus der Zeppelin Universität
Unterrichtssprache:
Englisch
Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl:
10 | 35
Prioritätsschema: Standard-Priorisierung
Inhalte:
After a short period of relative stability in the years following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the number of civil wars and violent domestic conflicts has been rising again. Although the international community has a range of instruments at its hand to broker and mediate conflict, their impact has been moderate at best. In 2021, there have been more domestic conflicts than at any time since the second World War, often accompanied by massive violations of human rights and human suffering.
The seminar deals with this challenge from a theoretical and empirical perspective. It provides a basic understanding of major theories of conflict and conflict resolution. These insights enable students to subsequently analyze the management of conflict: Students learn about important actors in the field of intervention, in particular focusing on international organizations such as the United Nations, and their practices. This includes the evolution and impact of peacebuilding and peace operations, but also theories and studies on transitional justice, power sharing, and democratization.
Special feature: This year, the seminar is taught in cooperation with the University of Ottawa (Canada), where a similar seminar taught by Prof. Benjamin Zyla takes place at the same time. The seminar will include cooperative elements with students at the University of Ottawa.
Optional feature: After familiarizing students with general theories and basic concepts of conflict management and peacebuilding, the seminar will address the war in Ukraine in particular. Sessions will deal with the historical background of Ukraine since the end of the Cold War, the democratization process, the conflict in Donbass and the Russian attack since 2022.
Topics covered include:
· The politics and dynamics of civil war
· Theories of conflict, mediation, and conflict resolution
· International organizations in the field of intervention (e.g., NATO, UN, OSCE, EU)
· The politics of intervention and their consequences for mandates and missions
· The evolution and impact of peace operations and peacebuilding
· Theory and practice of transitional justice and power sharing
· The limits of post-conflict democratization and the future of peace operations
· The history of the Ukraine conflict and the role of international organizations
· The war in Ukraine since 2022 and prospects for peacebuilding
Lernziele:
Based on theoretical and empirical insights, students gain a realistic assessment of the actual possibilities of international conflict transformation and peacebuilding against the background of challenges on the ground and the interests of the actors involved. Students also gain a comprehensive understanding of the state of academic research in this field and get an opportunity to conduct and present own analyses.
Weitere Informationen zu den Prüfungsleistungen:
Proposal for our teaching agreement.
Grading will be based on active participation, a presentation, and a written term paper. All assignments have to be passed in order to pass the whole class.
40% Presentation and active participation during seminar sessions:
· Students prepare all readings and sent short comments/ questions prior to each class. Active participation in class is expected.
· Students prepare a presentation on a topic specified in the syllabus. Note that these are not text presentations. Students should develop an analytical argument and engage the class in a discussion on that topic.
60% final paper:
· Approximately 15-page (5,000 words) research paper on the topic of the presentation or another topic upon agreement.
Literatur:
Collier, D. and A. Hoeffler (2004) “Greed and Grievance in Civil War,” Oxford Economic Papers, 56(1): 563-595.
Beardsley, K., & H. Schmidt (2012), Following the flag or following the charter? Examining the determinants of UN involvement in international crises, 1945–2001. International Studies Quarterly 56.1: 33-49.
Autesserre, Séverine (2014), Peaceland: conflict resolution and the everyday politics of international intervention. Cambridge University Press, 2014, 97-115.
Blair, R., Di Salvatore, J., & Smidt, H. (2023). UN Peacekeeping and Democratization in Conflict-Affected Countries. American Political Science Review, 1-19. doi:10.1017/S0003055422001319
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