Advanced Topics in Civil Conflict

Module Code: POU44191

Module Name: Advanced Topics in Civil Conflict 2019-20

ECTS Weighting: 5
Semester/Term Taught: Semester 1
Contact Hours: One 90-minute seminar per week
Module Personnel: Lecturer - Dr. Dino Hadzic
Office Hours: TBA

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

Understand what factors make the onset and cessation of civil conflict / civil wars more likely and what explains variation in the duration and severity of civil conflict.
Appreciate how civil conflict affects post-conflict social and political outcomes such as civic engagement and representation.
Describe how the research agenda on civil conflict has developed both theoretically and empirically over time.
Identify current gaps in the research agenda and potential opportunities for scholarly contributions.

Module Learning Aims

This module aims to introduce students to the state of current research on civil conflict and war. Students will gain a thorough understanding of (a) what factors determine the onset, cessation, duration, and severity of civil conflict and (b) how civil conflict shapes post-conflict political and social outcomes.

Module Content

This module examines the state of current research on the causes and effects of civil conflict and war. The first half of the module addresses civil conflict as an outcome: what makes conflict onset (and cessation) more likely? Why are some conflicts longer and more severe than others? Why are some societies peaceful while others appear stuck in a conflict trap? The second half will explore civil conflict as a predictor: why does conflict increase civic and political engagement in some settings but decrease it in others? How does conflict affect representation, particularly for social minorities and women? What are the short-, medium-, and long-term consequences of conflict?