International Politics and Ethnic Conflict

Catalog description

Ethnic conflict can take various forms, including international and civil war; communal violence; and state violence aimed against specific ethnic and racial groups, including ethnic cleansing and genocide. In this course, we will begin by examining how ethnic and racial categories are constructed. As a starting point, we will look at the construction of race and ethnicity in the United States. Throughout the course, we will challenge commonly held assumptions that attribute ethnic conflict to the existence of “morally degenerate people,” clash of civilizations, ethnic and racial diversity, or the history of animosity between various ethnic communities. The course will examine the relationships between nation-building, democratization, capitalism, and socioeconomic inequality and ethnic conflict alongside exploring possible solutions for preventing further conflicts or resolving existing ones. Some of the questions that this course will address include: What are the main sources behind political conflicts deemed “ethnic”? What is the link between nationalism and ethnic conflict? What is the role of the international community in managing ethnic conflicts? What constitutional designs, state structures, and electoral systems are most compatible with ethnically divided societies? Humanitarian Intervention and International Justice