853-0010-00L  Conflict Research II: Civil Wars

SemesterSpring Semester 2020
LecturersS. Rüegger, L.‑E. Cederman
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionGerman
CommentOnly for Public Policy BA.


AbstractIntroduction to research on civil wars. This course covers the causes, processes and solutions to civil conflicts and wars.
Objective- Knowledge on different causes of civil wars.
- Knowledge on processes during civil wars.
- Knowledge on different solutions and strategies to end civil wars.
- Application of theory to current examples of civil wars.
ContentThis course focuses on civil war, which is the most common type of political violence. The course is divided into three blocks: The first part analyses the causes of civil wars. The second part focuses on processes during ongoing civil wars, such as mobilization and conflict diffusion. The third part investigates in the factors that contribute to effective peace building.

Research questions: What are the causes of civil wars? What happens during civil wars? How do civil wars end?
Prerequisites / NoticeParticipation in the preceding course, Conflict Research I: Political Violence, is recommended.