Civilians in Conflict

Harvard FAS

This course investigates the causes and consequences of civilian victimization in armed conflict. We analyze why, despite prohibitive international norms, armed actors target non-combatants, and how civilians respond to this violence. We will explore the spectrum of civilian agency—from "exit" strategies to active participation as informants or combatants—and the structural conditions that constrain these choices. The curriculum focuses on two primary dynamics: the strategic logic of armed…