Civil War and Peace

3 units

This course examines the causes and consequences of intra-state conflict, as well as the potential solutions to it, drawing on examples from countries throughout the world, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, India, Iraq, Russia, Rwanda, Spain, et cetera. We will consider many potential causes of intra-state violence, including ethnic and religious identities, economic and security concerns, elite manipulation, and international diffusion. In order to understand the challenges countries face recovering from violence, we will subsequently examine different ways in which conflicts are conducted, as well as their consequences, including economic underdevelopment, rape, child soldiers, and disease. Finally, using what we have learned about the causes and consequences of conflict, we will analyze the utility of different tools for managing intra-state conflict, including, but not limited to, minority representation, consociationalism, decentralization and partition.