Ethnic Conflict in Comparative Perspective

3 units

This course introduces undergraduate students to the principal concepts, main research questions and proposed answers in the study of ethnicity and ethnic politics. The goal of the course is to build a solid foundational knowledge and to develop an advanced understanding of ethnic politics and ethnic conflict. We will begin by defining ethnicity, ethnic identity while exploring why, how and when ethnicity matters in politics. A thorough examination of various theories related to ethnically-based identification and political mobilization will follow. Subsequently, the course will delve into different types of ethnic conflict, including non-violent immigrant-native conflict, ethnically based violent riots, as well as mass scale violence of ethnic cleansing and genocide. We will also investigate the wide-ranging consequences of ethnic conflict and explore alternative solutions designed to end such conflicts. This course will allow students to engage with cutting-edge political science studies to develop a deep understanding of ethnic politics and conflicts across different contexts. This course counts towards the undergraduate Comparative Politics subfield.