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POLS 265 - NATIONALISM AND ETHNIC CONFLICT
Dougherty
Spring 2008
Course description:
This course explores the central concepts and theoretical debates surrounding nationalism and ethnic conflict, the major mechanisms for managing protracted social conflict, and conflict resolution tools. It focuses on such issues as the meaning of “nation,” the construction of national identity, the sources of ethnic conflict, secession, intervention, and then explores these concepts through case studies of former Yugoslavia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka. The class concludes with an overview of methods of preventing, ameliorating, and managing national and ethnic conflicts.
Course readings:
There are four required books, all of them available in the bookstore; when available they are also on reserve in the library.
Benedict Anderson. Imagined Communities. London: Verso (1991).
Ernest Gellner. Nations and Nationalism. Ithaca: Cornell University Press (1983).
Donald Horowitz. Ethnic Groups in Conflict. Berkeley: University of California Press (2000).
Chester Crocker et al. Turbulent Peace, Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press (2001).
All other readings are on reserve at the library. YOU MUST DO THE RESERVE READINGS! There is a lot of reading for this course; if you fall behind you may not be able to catch up. If you are not willing to do the reading, please do not take this course.
Course assignments:
- Research project - 50% of the grade
You will choose a specific situation of nationalist or ethnic conflict and write a series of three papers on that case study. You must choose your case study by FEBRUARY 2. The first paper (10-12 pages) is due on FEBRUARY 24 (25%). This paper should analyze the sources of the conflict (for example: the grievances of the group, contested nationalist discourses, national myths, etc). For some conflicts, it may be wise to spend a page or two listing the many sources of conflict, and then specify which particular aspect of this you wish to focus the rest of the paper on.
The second paper (10-12 pages) is due on APRIL 21 (25%). This paper will focus on efforts to manage/solve/heal the conflict. Remember that not all such efforts are peaceful - some states opt for repression or genocide. (for example: the response of the government to articulated grievances, how a peace settlement was reached or an analysis of the chances such a settlement will be successful, a solution to an ongoing conflict, the response of the international community).
See attached style sheet for appropriate citation and bibliography format. I will not grade any paper that does not follow these instructions. Late papers will result in a penalty based on how many days past the deadline it is turned in. Should you be concerned about a deadline, please come see before the deadline is passed! If you plagiarize, I will fail you for the course.
- Exams - 25% of the grade
There will be two in-class exams which will combine identifications with short answer essays. A map section may also be included on each exam. Exam I is on MARCH 3; Exam II is on MAY 7, 9-noon. Failure to take a scheduled exam will result in a zero.
- Presentation - 15% of the grade
During the last section on the prevention, management and healing of ethnic strife, students will work in small groups of 2-3 on a presentation. Presentations will begin April 8, and continue through April 30. The group will look at the strengths and weaknesses of a particular mechanism for dealing with ethnic conflict, and discuss what types of situations are most/least conducive to the successful application of this technique. Each group will provide a handout to the class summarizing their main findings and including a brief list of sources used. The handout must fit on one sheet of paper, double-sided. Each group will have no more than 15 minutes; this limit will be strictly enforced. Presentations will be graded on the professionalism of the group (which includes adhering to the time limit, appearance, teamwork, evidence of preparation), the handout, the content of the talk, and ability to answer questions.
- Participation - 10% of the grade
You are expected to make regular and informed contributions to class discussions. Please read a newspaper daily and track ongoing situations of ethnic conflict. We will routinely hold discussions of the readings and films, and you are expected to be prepared to critically analyze the materials assigned for those discussions. You are also expected to attend class regularly. Repeated absences will result in a significant lowering of your participation grade, and I reserve the right to fail you for the course in the event of excessive absences.
Course outline
| Jan 19 |
First day – syllabus and introduction |
| Jan 20 |
What is a nation? |
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READINGS: Hutchinson & Smith, Nationalism, Introduction, #1, #2, #3, #7;
Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities, pp. 1-7;
Rupert Emerson, From Empire to Nation, pp. 95-104. |
| Jan 21 |
Definitions of nationalism |
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READING: Nationalism, #24, # 25, #26, #27 |
| Jan 24 -27 |
Case study: Macedonia (no class meetings) |
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READING: Watch Before the Rain (112 min.); Current History articles, “Macedonia;” Economist articles, “Macedonia;” NIkolaos Zahariadis, “ External Interventions and Domestic Ethnic Conflict in Yugoslav Macedonia,” Political Science Quarterly 118, 2 (Summer 2003): pp. 259-281. |
| Jan 28 |
Ancient hatreds |
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READINGS: Nationalism, #5; Hutchinson & Smith, Ethnicity, #7, #8. |
| Jan 31 |
Anthony Smith |
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Anthony Smith, National Identity, Chapters 2-4. |
| Feb 2 |
The Rise of Nations |
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READINGS: Nationalism, #19-22. |
| Feb 2 – turn in case study choice |
| Feb 3 |
Walker Connor |
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READING: Walker Connor, Ethnonationalism, Chapter 6, 8, 9. |
| Feb 4 |
Guest lecture: Nicolette Meister, “Nationalism and Musuems” |
| Feb 7 |
Ernest Gellner |
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READINGS: Ernest Gellner, Nations & Nationalism, pp. 1-7, 19-39, 137-143. |
| Feb 9 |
Benedict Anderson |
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READINGS: Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities, Chapters 2-5. |
| Feb 10 |
Paul Brass |
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READINGS: Paul Brass, Ethnicity and Nationalism, Chapters 1-2. |
| Feb 11, 14 |
Invention of Tradition |
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READINGS: READING: Eric Hobsbawm & Terence Ranger, The Invention of Tradition, pp. 1-41, 263-307. |
| Feb 16, 17 |
Shaping of National Identity |
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READINGS: Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities, pp. 163 -206; Leonard Thompson, The Political Mythology of Apartheid, pp. 1-24; Nationalism, # 34, #35 |
| Feb 18-28 |
Sources of Conflict |
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READINGS: Donald Horowitz, Ethnic Groups in Conflict, Chapters 3-5; Stephen Van Evera, “Hypotheses on Nationalism and War,” International Security, 18, 4 (Spring 1994): 5-39; Turbulent Peace, #10, 13. |
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| Feb 28 – Paper I due |
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| Mar 2 |
TBA |
| Mar 3 |
Guest lecture: visiting scholar Istvan Horvath (from Transylvania) |
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| Mar 4 – EXAM I |
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| Mar 14 |
Guest lecture: Gen. Anthony Zinni (US Marines, ret.) |
| Mar 16, 17 |
Secession |
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READING: Horowitz, Chapter 6; Nationalism, # 42, #43; James Mayall & Mark Simpson, “Ethnicity Is Not Enough,” International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 33, 1-2 (1992): 5-25. |
| Mar 18, 21, 23 |
Yugoslavia |
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READING: Watch 6 hour video series, Death of Yugoslavia; I will arrange for several showings, but you are responsible for seeing the episodes; they will be available as of March 1 on reserve in the library. |
| Mar 24, 25 |
Kosovo |
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READING: Dragnich and Todorovich, The Saga of Kosovo, 4-57; Jerkovic, Kosovo and Metohija; Kadare, “Question of Kosovo,” and “Wedding Procession Turned to Ice.” |
| Mar 28 – Apr 1 |
Sudan |
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READING: Francis Deng, War of Visions, pp. 9-97, 387-483; Human Rights Watch, Darfur in Flames, available at http://hrw.org/reports/2004/sudan0404/ |
| Apr 4 - 8 |
Sri Lanka |
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READING: David Little, Sri lanka: The Invention of Enmity,” pp. 3-47; Bruce Matthews, “Sinhala Cultural and Buddhist Patriotic Organizations in Contemporary Sri Lanka,” Pacific Affairs 61, 4 (Winter 1988-89): 620-632; Bryan Pfaffenberger, “Ethnic Conflict and Youth Insurgency in Sri Lanka,” pp.241-257 & Marshall Singer, “Prospects for Conflict Management in the Sri Lankan Ethnic Crisis,” pp.259-286 (both in Montville, Conflict and Peacemaking in Multiethnic Societies.) |
| Apr 11 |
Preventive Diplomacy |
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READING: Bruce Jentelson, #15 in Turbulent Peace; Michael Lund, “Early Warning and Preventive Diplomacy,” in Managing Global Chaos, 379-402. |
| Apr 13 |
Military intervention |
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READING: Turbulent Peace, # 14, 16-20. |
| APR 14 |
No class – symposium |
| Apr 15 |
Negotiation and Mediation |
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READING: Turbulent Peace #24, 26-30; Horowitz, Chapter 14. |
| Apr 18 |
The Role of the United Nations and other international organizations |
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READING: Turbulent Peace, #21, 31-34. |
| Apr 20 |
No class – spring day |
| Apr 21 |
The Peace Settlement |
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READING: Turbulent Peace, #41, 43, 44; Pierre du Toit, “Why Post-Settlement Settlements?” Journal of Democracy 14, 2 (July 2003): 104-118. |
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| APR 21 – Paper II due |
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| Apr 22 |
Partition |
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READING: Chaim Kaufamnn, “Possible and Impossible Solutions to Ethnic Civil Wars,” International Security 20, 4 (Spring 1996): 136-175 & “When all Else Fails: Ethnic Population Transfers and partitions in the Twentieth Century,” International Security 23, 2 (Fall 1998): 120-157. |
| Apr 25 |
Electoral Systems |
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READING: Horowitz, Chapter 9-10, second half of Chapter 15. |
| Apr 27 |
Democratization and the Rule of Law |
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READING: Turbulent Peace, #45-47; Thomas Carothers, “The Rule of Law Revival,” Foreign Affairs 77, 2 (Mar-Apr 1998): 95-107.; Carrie Manning & Miljenko Antic, “The Limits of Electoral Engineering,” Journal of Democracy 14, 3 (July 2003): 45-59. |
| Apr 28 |
Federalism |
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READING: Horowitz, first half of Chapter 15; Nico Steytler & Johann Mettler, “Federal Arrangements as a Peacemaking Device during South Africa’s Transition to Democracy,” Publius 31, 4 (Fall 2001): 93-109; Kidane Mengisteab, “New Approaches to State Building in Africa: The Case of Ethiopia's Ethnic-Based Federalism,” African Studies Review, 40, 3 (Dec. 1997): 111-132. |
| Apr 29 |
Powersharing / Consociation |
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READING: Arend Lijphart, “The Power-Sharing Approach,” pp. 491-509, Kenneth McRae, “Theories of Powersharing and Conflict Management,” pp. 93-106, & Martin Heisler, “Hyphenating Belgium,” pp.177-195 (all in Joseph Montville, Conflict and Peacemaking in Multiethnic Societies.) |
| May 2 |
Preferential Policies |
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READING: Horowitz, Chapter 16. |
| May 4 |
Final reflections, evaluations |
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| May 7 |
Exam II ….. 9am-noon |
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