The Northern Ireland Conflict

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The Northern Ireland conflict was the most serious violent conflict in western Europe in the late twentieth century, claiming more than 3,600 lives. This module examines the politics of the conflict in comparative perspective, using it as an entry point for addressing broader scholarly debates on peace, conflict, divided societies and political violence. The module surveys the scholarship on the Northern Ireland conflict, relating it to the theoretical literature and comparing it to other episodes of violent political conflict. It covers the origins of conflict; dynamics of escalation; political violence; unionism, nationalism and other ideologies; state-society relations; all-Ireland dimensions; international influences including the European Union and the United States; diaspora involvement; peace processes; reconciliation; consociational structures and dealing with the past.