Type of course

Course content

The course seeks to provide students with complementary knowledge of the political dynamics of violence and peace work. Students should not only develop the practical knowledge of strategies for conflict management, negotiation, resolution and transformation, but also the relevant skills for analysing and critiquing these strategies. They should particularly be able to draw on theory relevant to violence and peace in the contemporary context.

Thus, the course examines and relates two dimensions of social conflict:

1) Some important varieties of political roles played by violence in civil wars and international disputes. Students are encouraged to contrast the use of violence with negotiation strategies.

2) The role that is played (or potentially played) by various actors and institutions in inhibiting, mediating, managing and/or transforming conflicts.

Both dimensions are relevant to a critical consideration of the character of and prospects for the pursuit of peace. The pursuit of peace entails an evolving variety of peace strategies and an evolving variety of hindrances and obstacles, including, arguably, some of these strategies themselves.

The focus is firstly on constructive measures to avoid or reduce violence (negative peace) and secondly on how to solve or transform conflicts in creative, less or non-violent ways ? or, at least, enhance such peace-building capacities (positive peace). This entails a consideration of the wide variety of strategies, organisations, agencies and means that could help reduce violence and/or promote peace.

Specific topics addressed include the following: (i) The use of force, social control, mediation and justice; (ii) The political economy of violent conflicts ? the resource curse, and state capacity and rebel financing; (iii) Gender and peace studies; (iv) Political violence and historical memory, The costs of social violence, and Social exclusion and gangs; (v) Peace Education; Peace-building Processes ? truth commissions and reconciliation, and demobilisation of female fighters in definite conflict areas, e.g. Guatemala.

Objectives of the course

Students who have successfully completed the course should have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge:
-Have an in-depth grasp of the social, political and economic dimensions of violent conflicts and peace work

-Have an in-depth conceptual understanding of diverse strategies for managing and/or transforming violent conflicts

Analytical understanding:

-Have the ability to review changing political roles and practices for handling violent conflicts at different levels and in different contexts
-Have the ability to explore how non-state actors or rebel groups finance their activities and establish specific forms of economic systems in violent conflict situations, as well as how other social actors (e.g. women and children) affect and are affected by shadow war economies
-Have a grasp of the nature, goals and challenges of peace education
-Have the ability explore or determine the social costs of exclusion and violent conflicts
-Have the ability to explore the gender dimensions of violent conflicts and post-war reconstruction

Skills and competences:

-Capable of identifying the contextual relevance of diverse peace-building strategies, such as truth commissions, disarmament and demobilisation processes

-Capable of relating theoretical and methodological frameworks from a variety of disciplines to violent conflicts and peace-building strategies at all levels of human interaction

-Capable of initiating a research project within the field of peace and conflict studies

-Capable of taking responsibility for one's own learning by working independently towards the realisation of the course objectives

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

There will be a mix of lectures and seminar discussions.

The course is to be evaluated by the SSL forum each semester the course is offered as well as in an anonymous online evaluation every second time the course is offered.

Assessment

Candidates will write a home examination of max. 8000 words (approx. 20 pages) within two weeks on a set of given topics.

An oral exam will also be conducted to assess the candidate's knowledge of aspects of the submitted essay and the course readings. The oral exam may adjust the grade for the essay.

Grading is on the scale of A to F, where F=Fail. The course is open for re-sit examination in the following semester.

Recommended reading/syllabus

Approx. 1500 pages.