Rebellion

Course Code: PUBLG080

Course Tutor: Dr M. Rodwan Abouharb, (Department of Political Science)

Assessment: One 3,000 word essay

Credit Value: 15

About this course
This course will examine a variety of alternative theoretical explanations for how civil conflict. The course begins with an overview of the disciplines knowledge about the determinants of civil conflict.

The course then proceeds by introducing the student to the different theoretical explanations for civil conflict and the empirical research that has been undertaken to test these different theories. The course critically reviews the impact that politics plays on the advent, continuation, and resolution of civil conflict. Students are invited to reflect upon the state of the discipline and areas of fruitful future research.

Course aims

• To provide an understanding of the different theoretical perspectives concerning why civil conflicts begin and how best to manage and resolve them.
• To assist students in developing a conceptually and empirically informed understanding of the debates surrounding the civil conflict.
• To introduce students to the debates in the literature on civil conflict.
• To qualify an international group of postgraduate students who may wish to proceed to further specialised study of civil conflict and/or employment in a related field.
• To develop key skills associated with: reading about, understanding and discussing conceptual issues and theoretical debates; applying concepts and theories to the empirical study of civil conflict; writing essays and presenting them in seminars, and to participate in group discussions.

Course objectives
By the end of the course students will have:

• The ability to recognise, outline the key elements of, and differentiate between the main theoretical approaches to the study of civil conflict.
• The ability to critically review and apply the different approaches to the study of civil conflict.
• Gained the theoretical and empirical skills to systematically analyse key issues associated with civil conflict onset and management.
• Demonstrated systematic reading and clarity of expression in developing written and oral arguments for and against specific positions, and to recognise the theoretical principles on which such arguments are based.