Security, Peace and Conflicts Resolution

Security, Peace and Conflicts Resolution
Bachelor in International Studies
ECTS Credits: 6.0
Semester: 2

COMPETENCES AND SKILLS THAT WILL BE ACQUIRED AND LEARNING RESULTS

BASIC AND GENERAL COMPETENCES
BASIC COMPETENCES
CB1 Be able to show that they possess and comprehend facts and contents in an area of study which, based on a previous general secondary school level, have been extended to those included in advanced textbooks and in some aspects proceed from the most advanced studies in this area.
CB2 Be able to show that they have learned how to apply their knowledge professionally to their future jobs or tasks and that they possess the competences needed to develop and defend arguments and solve problems in that area of study.
CB3 Be able to show that they are capable of collecting and interpreting the relevant data (normally within their area of study) needed for formulating judgments which require critical thought on social, scientific and ethical topics of relevance.
CB4 Be able to show that they are able to transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions both to specialized and non-specialized publics.
CB5 Be able to show that they have developed the learning skills required to perform further studies with a high degree of self-dependence.

GENERAL COMPETENCES
CG1 Understand social, political, legal and economic realities from a comparative perspective.
CG2 Be able to approximate and analyze the intrinsic values contained in equal opportunities, multi-cultural society, political ideological and cultural pluralism, human rights, and the international community.
CG4 Be able to manage information: identify, organize and analyze relevant information critically and systematically within the context of international relations.
CG5 Be able to debate and formulate critical reasoning, using precise terminology and specialized resources, when analyzing international and global phenomena, employing both the concepts and knowledge from different disciplines as well as the methods of analysis, paradigms and concepts pertaining to the Social Sciences.
CG6 Be able to apply scientific method to the economic, social and political questions of a global society; be able to formulate problems in this context, identify a possible explication or solution, and a method to contrast them by sensibly interpreting the data.
CG7 Know how to express judgments, which include ethical reflections, on essential social, scientific and economic topics within a representative context of society both on a local and international level.

OVERLAPPING COMPETENCES
CT1 Acquire the capacity to communicate knowledge in oral and written form, both to specialized and to non-specialized publics.
CT2 Acquire the capacity to establish good interpersonal communication and to work both in interdisciplinary and international teams.
CT3 Acquire the capacity to organize and plan workloads, taking correct decisions based on the available information, collecting and interpreting relevant data in order to provide assessments in that area of study.
CT4 Develop the motivation and capacity to perform independent continuous learning for life, with an endowment to adapt to change and new situations.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCES
CE1 Be familiar with the principal political and social theories. Be capable of analyzing and comparing contemporary policies.
CE2 Be familiar with and understand the processes of political, social, economic and cultural change in society and contemporary policy.
CE5 Be familiar with the leading state models of territorial, political, economic and social organization.
CE12 Be able to formulate and solve basic economic, social, political problems in an international context.
CE16 Be able to carry out case studies and apply comparative method to analyze institutions, processes and policies in different countries.

LEARNING RESULTS
· Knowledge of the main theories explaining conflict.
· Knowledge about the evolution and determinants of wars between States, civil wars and terrorism.
· Applied knowledge on conflict resolution and peace maintenance.

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS: PROGRAMME

1. Theories of conflict and violence

2. The history and political economy of interstate wars: rationalist and non-raationalist theories of war; alliances; deterrance; old vs. new wars; the democratic peace.

3. The history and political economy of intrastate conflict: poverty, inequality and conflict; failed states; natural resources; ethnicity; rebel recruitment; the microdynamics of civil wars.

4. The political economy of terrorism: waves of terrorist violence; international terrorism; terrorism and counterterrorism.

5. The International Peaceful Settlement of Disputes. Political Means of Peaceful Settlement: Negotiation, Mediation. Jurisdictional Means of Peaceful Settlement: Arbitration and Judicial Settlement.

6. The International System of Collective Security: The Use of Force in International Law.

7. International Conflict Management: Conflict Prevention; United Nations; peace-keeping, peace-enforcement and peace-building.

8. The Protection of People in Armed Conflicts: Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGY

The course is divided in theoretical and practical sessions, as well as in positive and normative analysis.

For the positive part, the theoretical sessions are a mixture of lecturing and discussion of readings given in advance of each theoretical session. The practical sessions will require empirical analysis (both large- and small-n analysis) informed by the content of the lectures.

For the normative part, theorerical sessions will be mainly lecturing. In the practical sessions, students will apply the categories of international law to the analysis of peace and conflict resolution processes.

ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

There will be separate evaluations of the positive and normative parts of the course. In each bloc, the 50/50 proportion between the exam and the practical exercises will be kept.

The practical part of the grade will be based on class participation, weekly exercises, brief papers, and any other kind of assignment during the course.

In order to pass the course, students must pass the exam. Without passing the exam, the exam and the rest of the grade cannot be averaged.

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, Graham. Elgar Handbook of Civil War and Fragile States. Edward Elgar. 2014
Brownlie, I.. Principles of Public International Law. Oxford University Press. 2008
Coyne, Christopher, Michael Mathews. The Handbook on the Political Economy of War. Edward Elgar. 2011
Garfinkel, Michelle & Stergos Skaperdas. The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Peace and Conflict. Oxford University Press. 2012
Kalyvas, Stathis, Ian Shapiro, Tarek Masoud. Order, Conflict, and Violence. Cambridge University Press. 2008
Lindley-French, Julia & Yves Boyer. The Oxford Handbook of War. Oxford University Press. 2012
North, Douglas, John Wallis & Barry Weingast. Violence and Social Order. Cambridge University Press. 2012
Schachter, O.. International Law in Theory and Practice. Martinus Nijhoff. 1991
Shaw, M. N.. International Law. Cambridge University Press. 2008