91̽»¨

The course is an in-depth course in Political 91̽»¨ and given as an elective course in the Bacherlor's Programme in Political 91̽»¨ and as a single subject course. The course is also given as a single subject course for exchange students.

To be eligible for the course the student should have obtained 30 credits from courses in political science or international relations and 15 credits from courses in social science. In addition, the students also must have attended 15 credits courses in social sciences, or equivalent. Applicants must prove their knowledge of English: English 6/English B or equivalent.

The course introduces the study of armed conflict and the main instruments of contemporary conflict management. The course covers three main areas. The first is basic concepts and empirical patterns in interstate and intrastate wars. How are different types of armed conflict defined and how do they vary, over time and geographically? A second and main area is theories concerning the origin of armed conflict and war. How can we explain that states and other actors choose armed strategies despite the fact that these are extremely costly? Central theories on the origins of war are presented and discussed, including explanations at the system, state and individual level. In the final part, the main types of contemporary conflict management are presented, including mediation, sanctions and peacekeeping operations, together with theoretical perspectives on these. Throughout, the course takes up a number of empirical cases – historical and contemporary – which provide a perspective on the chain from conflict origin to conflict resolution.

On successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Explain basic theories about interstate and intrastate armed conflicts, including theories at system, state, and individual level.
• Explain basic approaches to conflict management, including mediation and peacekeeping operations.
• Give examples of research designs and research methods used in the course literature concerning conflict and conflict management.
• Give examples of empirical results from current research on conflict and conflict management.

Competence and skills

• Apply theories of conflict and conflict management to empirical cases.
• Independently produce text in accordance with good academic practice, including proper citation technique and use of references
• Summarize and present self-produced academic texts in a well-formulated and clear manner.

Judgement and approach

• Critically reflect on various theories and research results on conflict and conflict management that are presented in the course literature and in lectures.

The teaching consists of lectures and seminars.

Language of instruction: English

Lectures, seminars and literature are in English.

The course is assessed through active participation during seminars, a course paper, and oral defense of the course paper.

Students can be asked to re-work graded assignments and re-submit them. If the student does not re-submit the reworked assignment on time, the student will be failed on the assignment.

A student who is not able to attend a compulsory part of the course can do an alternative assignment. The assignment will be described in the course guide.

Restrictions on the use of generative AI are stated in the course guide. Students are obliged to inform themselves about the current rules for examining elements such as assignments, seminar papers and other forms of exams in the course in question.

If a student who has twice received a failing grade for the same examination component wishes to change examiner ahead of the next examination session, such a request should be made to the department in writing and should be approved by the department unless there are special reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 of the Higher Education Ordinance).

If a student has received a recommendation from the University 91̽»¨ for study support for students with disabilities, the examiner may, where it is compatible with the learning outcomes of the course and provided that no unreasonable resources are required, decide to allow the student to sit an adjusted exam or alternative form of assessment.

At least five occasions shall be offered the students to pass a course or part of a course.

In the event that a course has ceased or undergone major changes, students are to be guaranteed at least three examination sessions (including the ordinary examination session) over a period of at least one year, but no more than two years after the course has ceased/been changed.

The grading scale comprises: Pass with Distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U). For a passing grade (G), the student’s work must demonstrate an ability to connect theoretical analysis to empirical outcomes, independent analytical ability, and basic academic requirements in terms of structure and language. For a pass with distinction (VG), the student’s work must demonstrate a very good ability to link theoretical analysis to empirical outcomes, good analytical ability, and high quality in terms of structure and language.

For a pass (G) on the entire course, a minimum of G is required on all sections, as well as attendance at all mandatory seminars.

In order to get a pass with distinction (VG) on the entire course, it is required that the student fulfills the requirements for pass (G), and that the student receives a VG on more than half of the course's credits.

The student will be given the opportunity to do a course evaluation. The results of and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.