Insegnamento a.a. 2026-2027

The study of conflict: How do we measure and analyze political conflicts, and what counts as evidence?

Inter-state wars: Why do states engage in wars?

Regime type and conflict: How do domestic politics, regime types, and bureaucracies affect the occurrence of conflicts?

Leaders and conflict: Do individual leaders affect the propensity of conflict? How and why?

Civil wars: Why does war occur within a state?

Terrorism: Why kill noncombatants?

Genocides and mass killings: Why do perpetrators carry out mass killings?

Ending wars, peacekeeping, and humanitarian intervention: Why do wars end, and when do peacekeeping, mediation, and intervention succeed?

Case studies of major historical and contemporary conflicts: How do these frameworks apply to specific conflicts across regions, such as the Russia–Ukraine war, the war in Sudan, the Syrian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, the Sri Lankan civil war, and the Colombian civil war?

Ethics of conducting research on conflict: What ethical questions arise in studying and reporting on political violence?

- Define the main theoretical frameworks used to analyze the causes, dynamics, and resolution of conflicts.
- Describe the historical background and key events of major contemporary and historical conflicts.
- Identify the factors that contribute to the emergence, escalation, and termination of conflicts.
- Explain the roles and motivations of various stakeholders involved in conflicts, including states, non-state actors, and international organizations.
- Recognize the ethical issues that arise in research on political violence.

- Apply theoretical frameworks to analyze specific historical and contemporary conflicts.
- Analyze conflict cases using a combination of academic research, policy reports, primary sources, and journalism.
- Evaluate competing explanations of the same conflict and justify their analytical choices.
- Develop well-structured written analyses and oral presentations of conflict cases.
- Work effectively in teams to investigate a conflict, structure an argument, and present findings to peers.

• Lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Individual works / Assignments
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

Guest speakers: Guest speakers may be invited to present on topics related to conflicts. This gives students the opportunity to engage directly with practitioners and researchers working on these issues. Students are expected to participate during these sessions.

Collaborative work: Students will work in groups throughout the course on the analysis of specific conflict cases. Groups will apply the theoretical frameworks introduced in the early sessions to the conflicts examined in class, prepare written analyses, and present their findings to the class. The format is aimed at improving the students' ability to apply theory to evidence, work collaboratively, and communicate their analyses in writing and orally.

In-class quizzes: Short reading quizzes will be administered to ensure that students complete the assigned readings before class and are prepared to engage with the lecture and group work. The lowest two quiz scores will be dropped to accommodate occasional absences.
 

For attending students, the grade will consist of the following:

1- Collaborative case work (30%): Throughout the course, students will work in groups on the analysis of conflict cases. This collaborative work will assess students' ability to apply theoretical frameworks to specific conflicts, develop written analyses, and present and debate their findings in class.

2- Reading quizzes and participation (10%): Reading quizzes administered at the beginning of class will ensure that students complete the assigned readings. Participation will be assessed through engagement in lectures, case discussions, and group work.

3- Final exam (60%): The final exam for attending students will include short answer and longer essay questions. It may also include some combination of fill-in-the-blanks and/or multiple-choice questions. These will assess students' understanding of the theoretical frameworks and the cases covered in the course, as well as their ability to apply these frameworks to specific conflicts.
 

For non-attending students, the grade will be based on a final exam alone. The final exam will include short answer and longer essay questions. It may also include some combination of fill-in-the-blanks and/or multiple-choice questions. The exam will assess students' understanding of the theoretical frameworks and the cases covered in the course material, and their ability to critically engage with this material in short answer and essay formats.

No required books. This book will provide helpful background:

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz. World politics: interests, interactions, institutions. New York: Norton (2021).