Этнические конфликты: причины и разрешение

Бакалавриат 2020/2021

Статус: Курс по выбору (Политология и мировая политика)

Направление: 41.03.04. Политология

Кто читает: Департамент политологии и международных отношений

Где читается: Санкт-Петербургская школа социальных наук

Когда читается: 4-й курс, 3 модуль

Формат изучения: без онлайн-курса

Преподаватели: Щербак Андрей Николаевич

Язык: английский

Кредиты: 3

Контактные часы: 40

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course focuses on recent ethnic conflict across the world – from post-Soviet space and the Yugoslav succession wars – to the genocide in Rwanda and conflicts in the Middle East. The goal of the course is to explore the reasons of ethnic conflicts in the post-Cold war era as well as key approaches to their resolution. Theoretical explanations vary from the classic nationalism theories to “new wars” approaches. Finally, we will examine the role of national governments, civil society, international organizations and military in ethnic conflict resolution.

Learning Objectives

The course aims to explore the variety of ethnic conflicts (mostly on the post-Soviet space) and eaplain the reasons for their onset and resolution

Expected Learning Outcomes

Active participation in discussions on seminars, analysis of various cases
Able to do research, including the problem analysis, setting goals and objectives, defining the research subject, selecting research methods including its quality control
Student is capable of retrieving, collecting, processing and analyzing information relevant for achieving goals in the professional field
Student is capable of executing applied analysis of the political phenomena and political processes - by using political science methods - and in support of practical decision making process
Identifies main cases and reasons of ethnic conflicts worldwide, but especially with the focus on the post-communist space
understands the main approaches to the resolution of ethnic conflicts in the 20 and 21 centuries;
thinks critically about recent developments in ethnic conflicts prevention policy in Russia and post-communist region in general

Course Contents

Sources and reasons for ethnic conflicts.
What is accommodation of ethnicity? Language, national identity and assimilation as key issues. “Ethnic groups in conflict”. State nationalism vs. ethnic minorities. State capacity and nationalism
What is an ethnic conflict?
Nationalism and ethnicity. Why ethnicity and nationalism become the source of conflicts? Variation of ethnic conflicts/ tensions/ clashes/ wars.
Genocide in Rwanda
The reasons and causes of genocide in Rwanda. How to define a genocide and why genocides happen?
Ethnic wars in Yugoslavia.
The reasons of ethnic conflicts in Yugoslavia
Ethnic conflicts on the post-Soviet space-1
The Baltic states: why 'hot' conflict did not occur? Moldova&Transnistria: the reasons of ethnic violence. The status reversal: Russians beyond Russia.
Ethnic conflicts on the post-Soviet space-2.
The Caucasus: Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. The Karabakh conflict. The Georgian-Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhazian conflicts
Ethnic conflicts on the post-Soviet space-3
The conflict in Chechnya. Why Russia lost the First Chechen war and won the Second one? Post-war reconstruction: acheivements and problems
Resource curse and incidence of ethnic conflicts
Resource dependence as the reason for ethnic conflicts in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Multiculturalism, ethnic tolerance as policy goals: theory and practice
Ethnic tolerance as a policy objective; zero-tolerance to ethnic discrimination. Ethnic discrimination. National and supra-national perspectives.
Ethnic conflicts in the 21th century: prospects and potential for resolution
The role of nation state, international community and NGOs .The “New wars” concept by Mary Kaldor

Assessment Elements

Quizzes
Each student will have to respond to 2 short questions that aim to check if the student has done reading assignment. Usually, the response may be limited by 2-3 sentences. Each student will have up to 15 minutes for submitting his/her response. The responses have to be submitted by email to the instructor. The instructor reserves the right to announce a quiz without prior notice.
participation
As the course is grounded on discussion of problems with no sole optimal solution, each student must take part in the discussions during seminars. The assessment of students` work is based on individual participation and individual oral presentations on the issues raised in the compulsory readings. Grading is based on answers to the instructor’s questions addressed to the audience and particular students; students’ questions to the instructor; discussions among students in smaller groups. Students are assessed for the quality of their arguments and ability to analyze critically the problem, engage with the arguments of the book, peers and the instructor, ability to find links between different parts of the course and its readings. Attendance is obligatory. Students must not skip classes without valid reason. If a student misses more than one class without a valid cause, he/she will be punished by reduction of his/her assessment by 5%.
Mid-term exam
Each student will require writing a mid-term exam – a multiple-choice test, where he/she needs to identify essential names, dates, events related to ethnic conflicts (based on literature to the course). Each student will have up to 40 minutes for passing the test.
Final exam (essay)
to pass exam each student has to submit an essay on the topic related to the course. The topic of an essay should be approved by instructor and submitted by student no later than two weeks before deadline. The deadline for final essay submission is MARCH 15, 2021. The failure to submit the essay to the deadline may result in penalty as follows: -1 score if the delay is no more then 2 days, and -2 scores if more then 2 days but less then 5 days; and -3 scores if the delay is more then 5 days. Formal requirements: No less than 2500 words (+/- 10%), the topic should be submitted no later than two weeks before deadline

Interim Assessment

Interim assessment (3 module)
0.4 * Final exam (essay) + 0.24 * Mid-term exam + 0.24 * participation + 0.12 * Quizzes

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Laitin, D. D. . (DE-588)122143310, (DE-576)164254927. (2007). Nations, states, and violence / David D. Laitin. Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.266901123
Laitin, D. D. (2007). Nations, States, and Violence. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=216029

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Brubaker, R., & Laitin, D. D. (1998). Ethnic and Nationalist Violence. Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 423. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.24.1.423
Clogg, R. (2008). The Politics of Identity in Post-Soviet Abkhazia: Managing Diversity and Unresolved Conflict. Nationalities Papers, 36(2), 305–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/00905990801934371
Darden, K., & Mylonas, H. (2012). The Promethean Dilemma: Third-party State-building in Occupied Territories. Ethnopolitics, 11(1), 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449057.2011.596127
Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (2011). Sons of the Soil, Migrants, and Civil War. World Development, (2), 199. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.eee.wdevel.v39y2011i2p199.211
Identities in between: political conflict and ethnonational identities in multicultural states. (n.d.). https://doi.org/10.25384/SAGE.6814907.v1
Kamola, I. (2007). The global coffee economy and the production of genocide in Rwanda. Third World Quarterly, 28(3), 571–592. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436590701192975
Oberschall, A. (2000). The manipulation of ethnicity: from ethnic cooperation to violence and war in Yugoslavia. Ethnic & Racial Studies, 23(6), 982–1001. https://doi.org/10.1080/014198700750018388
Pål Kolstø, Andrei Edemsky, & Natalya Kalashnikova. (1993). The Dniester conflict: Between irredentism and separatism. Europe-Asia Studies, (6), 973. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668139308412137
Roland Hodler. (2006). The curse of natural resources in fractionalized countries. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.252805D
Sharafutdinova, G. (2000). Chechnya Versus Tatarstan. Problems of Post-Communism, 47(2), 13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2000.11655873
Vujacic, V. (1996). Historical legacies, nationalist mobilization, and political outcomes in Russia and Serbia: A Weberian view. Theory & Society, 25(6), 763–801. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=sih&AN=9710285467
Yanagizawa-Drott, D. H. (2014). Propaganda and Conflict: Evidence from the Rwandan Genocide. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju020

Course Syllabus