Ethnic Conflict: The Balkans & Beyond ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

The Balkans is a region where power has changed hands as rapidly as ethnic and national boundaries. This course examines the complexity of the regional and ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, especially since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It reviews major political events, international relations and foreign policies between Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Albania. Comparing and contrasting ethnic conflict in the Balkans with similar conflicts in other regions, students will formulate practical insights about the diverse nature of ethnic conflict and the possibility of either defining universal approaches to manage them, or building a strong locally defined approach to ethnic conflict resolution. Finally, it examines questions related to nationalism and the impact of globalization. Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Intro to Sociology and/or Psychology, Intro to Macroeconomics, European History, and/or a course in US foreign relations.