Peace and Conflict Studies II

Course Code: FK102E

Institution:

Department of Global Political Studies

Revision:

4

For students admitted spring 2009  

Other set versions

Approval

The course was established 31 May 2002.
This course syllabus (version 4) was approved 26 November 2008 by the Board of Studies at the Department of International Migration and Ethnic Relations.
The syllabus is valid from 19 January 2009. Replacement for course syllabus ratified 31 May 2002.

Education level

First cycle

Entry requirements

Peace and Conflict Studies, 1-30 hp.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

After finishing the course, the student:

can demonstrate a broader understanding of analytical methods relating to peace and
conflict studies;

can demonstrate in-depth understanding of the causes, dynamics and resolution of armed conflicts;

can demonstrate knowledge of current conflict scenarios and

can show knowledge of Malmö University’s perspectives: environment, gender, and migration and ethnicity.

Applying knowledge and understanding

After finishing the course, the student:

can demonstrate the ability to investigate armed conflicts independently by employing the analytical concepts relevant to this field of study;

can demonstrate the ability to carry out a conflict analysis within given time frames;

can demonstrate a critical and scientific approach to organized violence and

can apply knowledge of Malmö University’s perspectives to issues pertaining to organised violence and conflict resolution.

Making judgments and communication skills

After finishing the course, the student:

can show the specialised ability to independently analyse and critically reflect upon research development within the field of peace and conflict studies and

has the specialised ability to independently evaluate their knowledge of peace and conflict studies and identify their need for further competency within the subject.

Assessments

Students’ knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities are examined by means of an obligatory home assignment, a number of other written assignments and an essay in the form of an independent conflict analysis. Students’ communication and judgment skills are primarily examined through seminar reports.

Students who do not pass the regular course exams have the minimum of two re-sit opportunities. Re-sits follow the same form as the original exams, apart from re-sits for group work, which take the form of individual written and oral assignments.

Course content

The course consists of the following modules:

Peace and Conflict Theory (15 credits)
Conflict Analysis: Peace and Conflict Research Methods (7,5 credits)
Project Work (7,5 credits)

The first part of the term (15 credits) comprises an introduction to conflict theory wherein causes and development of conflicts as well as their solutions are analysed. Efforts to preclude conflicts are also evaluated.

The second part of the term contains a course dealing with the construction and evaluation of conflict scenarios as well as an independent conflict analysis in the form of a written assignment. Supervision of this assignment includes instruction in methodology.

Learning activities

Lectures, seminars, oral presentations and essays. Essays are supervised and a certain amount of instruction on methodology is included in the supervision.

Grading system

Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG). ECTS grading system can be used on students demand.

Reading list and other media

Peace and Conflict Theory 15 hec

• Azar, E., 1990, The management of protracted social conflict, Dartmouth
• Bratton, M. & E. Masunungure, 2006, ‘Popular reactions to state repression: Operation Murambatsvina in Zimbabwe’, in African Affairs, 106/422, 21-45
• Carpenter, R. Charli, 2006, Innocent Women and Children : Gender Norms and the Protection of Civilians, Ashgate, Aldershot
• Clausewitz, C. von, 1991, On war, Wordsworth Editions Ltd., Herts
• Connell, R. W. and J. W. Messerschmidt, 2005, ‘Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept’, in Gender and society, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 829-859 (gas.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/19/6/829 )
• Elbadawi, I. & N. Sambanis, 2000, ’Why are there so many civil wars in Africa? Understanding and preventing violent conflict’, in Journal of African Economics, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 244-269

European Commission. “European Commission Check-list for Root Causes of Conflict”. europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/cpcm/cp/list.htm

• Galtung, J., 1969, ‘Violence, peace, and peace research’, Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 6, No. 3. (1969), pp. 167-191, —1990, ‘Cultural peace’, in Journal of Peace Research, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 291-305, www.jstor.org/
• Goldstein, J., 2005, War and Gender-how the Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa, Cambridge University Press (reading: ca. 200 pages)
• Hobbes, T., 2006, Leviathan, Dover Publications Inc., N.Y.
• Jones, A., 2006, ‘Straight as a rule-Heteronormativity, gendercide, and the noncombatant male’, in Men and masculinities, Vol. 8, no. 4, April, pp. 451-469 (jmm.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/8/4/451 )
• Kaldor, M., 2005, New and old wars, Stanford University Press
• Kamete, A., 2007, ’Cold-hearted, negligent and spineless? Planning, planners and the (r)ejection of urban “filth” in Zimbabwe, in International Planning Studies, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 153-17
• Kant, I., 2007, ’Toward eternal peace’ and other writings on peace, politics, and history, Yale University Press
• Large, J., 1997, ‘Disintegration Conflicts and the Restructuring of Masculinity’, in Gender and Development, Vol. 5, No. 2, [Masculinity]. (Jun., 1997), pp. 23-30.
• Lederach, J. P., 1997 (or later), Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies. Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press.
• Ocheje, P. D., 2007, ‘”In the public interest”: Forced evictions, land rights and human development in Africa’, in Journal of African Law, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 173-214
• Pankhurst, D., 2003,’The 'Sex War' and Other Wars: Towards a Feminist Approach to Peace Building’, in Development in Practice, Vol. 13, No. 2/3. (May, 2003), pp. 154-177
• Ramsbotham, Oliver, Hugh Miall och Tom Woodhouse. 2006. Contemporary Conflict Resolution: The Prevention, Management and Transformation of Deadly Conflicts. Second edition. Oxford: Polity Press.

Articles and other texts of 500 pages may be added.

Conflict Analysis: Peace and Conflict Research Methods, 7,5 hec

• Austin, Alex; Fischer, Martina and Ropers, Norbert (2008) The Berghof Handbook, Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management, Berlin, digital version: www.berghof-handbook.net/std_page.php?LANG=e&id=11 (extract of articles, ca 500 pages)
• CDA (2004): The Do No Harm Handbook (23 p.). At: www.cdainc.com/dnh/docs/DoNoHarmHandbook.pdf
• Conflict Sensitivity Approaches (2003) Tools for Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment, Chapter 2 (which presents different models/approaches): www.conflictsensitivity.org/resource_pack.html (ca 20 pages.)
• Galtung, Johan (2000) The Transcend Manual, The United Nations, pp.3-39. Downloadable at www.transcend.org/pctrcluj2004/TRANSCEND_manual.pdf
• Hewitt, Joseph J; Jonathan Wilkenfeld and Ted Robert Gurr (2008) Peace and Conflict 2008, Center for International Development and Conflict Management, University of Maryland, Boulder: Paradigm Publishers. (144 pages.)
• International Alert (2008) A Climate of Conflict, International Alert, Report can be downloaded at: www.international-alert.org/climate_change.php (ca 50 pages)
• Miall et al (2005): “Conflict Mapping and Conflict Tracking” in Contemporary Conflict Resolution, Cambridge: Polity Press (3 p.).
• Moyer, Bill (1990) “Movement Action Plan (MAP): Strategic Theories for Evaluating, Planning, and Conducting Social Movements”, in The Practical Strategist, San Francisco: Social Movement Empowerment Project. Downloadable at www.thechangeagency.org/_dbase_upl/movement_action_plan.pdf (41 pages)
• Pfetsch, Frank R. and Christoph Rohloff (2000) “KOSIMO: A Databank on Political Conflict”, Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 379-389. (12 pages).
• Stern, Maria & Nystrand, Malin (2006): Gender and Armed Conflict, pages 34-84 (50 p.). Downloadable at www.sida.se/sida/jsp/sida.jsp?d=118&a=23381&searchWords=stern

Own choice of literature in group work will amount to about 400 pages.

Some further articles might be added.

Project Work, 7,5 hec

• Jupp, Victor (ed.), 2006, The SAGE Dictionary of Social Research Methods, London: Sage Publications
• Lundsford, A.A, 2006, Easy Writer, a Pocket Reference, Boston: Bedfords/St. Martin’s
• Nealon, J. och Susan S. Giroux, 2003, The Theory Toolbox Critical Concepts for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences,
• Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield

Walliman, N., 2007, Social Research Methods, Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Course evaluation

All students are offered an opportunity to give oral or written feedback at the end of the course. A summary of the results will be made available on the school’s web-pages. The students are also given a possibility to offer feedback for each module.

Student participation takes place through the course council.