Self-Determination, Secession & Accommodation

Undergraduate

This seminar offers specialized instruction on self-determination and secession, combining insights from scholarly research with in-depth case study analysis to explore the complexity of contemporary secessionist conflicts. We focus on two key multinational states: Spain—an advanced Western democracy—examined through Catalonia’s independence movement, and India—an influential Global South country—through the case of Tamil Nadu. The course also engages with other high-profile cases, such as Greenland, Somaliland, and Republika Srpska, paying particular attention to the role and strategic interests of the United States in shaping international responses and influencing the trajectory of these conflicts. Students should have taken at least one Comparative Politics and/or International Relations introductory course. SO Th 9:25am-11:20am