POLI 2399 -D1 Contemporary International Conflict

Abstract

Course Description & Objectives: This course will examine the conditions that make for war and peace in world politics, as well as the range of possible solutions that might help to prevent war in the future. The course begins with a theoretical reading of war. Following, the course conducts a geographical survey of conflicts across the many regions in the world. Analyses will include the causes or correlates of conflict between nation-states and non-state actors; the outcomes and consequences of conflicts; and a variety of solutions that have been applied to help prevent or limit the cost of war. Upon completion of this course, students should be familiar with many of the factors that seem to create, worsen, or reduce military conflict between nation-states and non-state actors. Students should be able to apply these factors in examining real-world scenarios, such as studying historical cases of war or assessing the prospects for future conflict in troubled areas of the world. By the end of the course you should have: - An understanding of the theoretical roots of conflict and war in international relations - An idea of why contemporary conflict is different today - A broad understanding of conflict and war in different regions, according to different themes - A sense of what mechanisms of resolution we have, and what seems to work. Drawing upon scholarship from various subfields in political science (American foreign policy, international relations, international political economy), as well as mainstream political analysis (Foreign Affairs, The Economist), this course also seeks to broaden the student’s understanding of the many voices contributing to the lively current debate surrounding war and peace in international relations today