Contemporary Issues in Conflict and Security

Professor

Keith Krause

keith.krause@graduateinstitute.ch

 

Assistant:
Jovana Carapic

Jovana.carapic@graduateinstitute.ch

 

Course Description

  

This course will examine contemporary and conceptual issues in conflict and security studies. The course does not deal directly with “classical” issues in security studies (such as causes of war, strategy, deterrence, arms control or alliance theory), however it does presuppose some background knowledge of them. Instead, the course deals with contemporary themes and issues such as security communities, “securitisation”, communal conflicts, the political economy of conflicts, State collapse and reconstruction, and societal security. Overall, the course adopts a critical approach to security studies, and examines the twin pillars of Northern (European) and Southern (post-conflict) security challenges. While not comprehensive, the course is broad enough to allow students to explore a range of conceptual and practical issues within critical approaches to contemporary security studies.

 

This course will examine a selection of issues in contemporary security studies. The course does not deal directly with the “classical” issues (such as causes of war, strategy, deterrence, arms control or alliance theory), and does presume background knowledge of them. Instead, the course deals with contemporary themes and issues such as security communities, “securitization,” the political economy of conflicts, state collapse and reconstruction, and migration and societal security.

 

Each issue is selected to illustrate a particular concept or approach to conflict and security studies, and the course makes no claim to being exhaustive. Overall, the course adopts a critical approach to security studies, and examines issues from both Northern (European) and Southern (post-conflict) security challenges. While not comprehensive, the course is broad enough to allow students to explore a range of conceptual and practical issues within critical approaches contemporary security studies.

 

The course is also a prerequisite for “Political Violence,” (E 626), an in-depth research seminar scheduled for the second semester that focuses on contemporary manifestations of violence and violent conflict. Exceptions to this will only be made based on relevant background.

 

Since security studies cannot claim theoretical coherence or a governing orthodoxy, students will be expected to demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of approaches and concepts. Those interested in practical or descriptive knowledge will be required to provide conceptual grounding for their analyses; conceptually inclined students will be forced to acquire “local knowledge” wherever possible.

 

Full participation is expected of students in the seminar. This includes reading all the required readings – and this is a heavy reading course – as well as being prepared to discuss them critically. Final grades will in part be determined by the level and quality of seminar participation, and by presentations of the readings that will be scheduled according to the number of students in the seminar. Readings are not introductory-level, and presume some familiarity with main theoretical developments in International Relations. For those with too-little background, I recommend reading:

            

Michael Sheehan, International Security: An Analytical Survey

Edward Kolodoziej, Security and International Relations

Peter Hough, Understanding Global Security.

Barry Buzan and Lene Hansen, International Security Studies

 

These will not substitute for the course readings, but can bring you somewhat “up to speed.”

 

Assignments

 

The main assignment in the course is the research paper. This must be an empirically-grounded, theoretically-informed, exploration of a particular theme relevant to this course. It cannot be a mere review of theoretical literature, or simply a narrative account of a particular case. It must have an argument, a conceptual framework, an empirical “field” (case or cases, or data, etc.), and a coherent research strategy or method. Case studies that examine a particular theme in the context of a recent or current case are particularly welcome.

 

The large number of students in this course may make it difficult to assess an adequate participation grade for all students, but active participation is strongly encouraged.

 

Short analytic paper (six pages) (due 8 November)                                       20%

Literature review (six pages), due week material is discussed                         20%

Participation                                                                                              20%

Research paper (about 25 pages), due late December (tbd)                           40%

 

Readings

 

The required readings for weeks four onwards will be made available in a “kit” or polycopie. The polycopie must be ordered through the ’imprimerie minute’. You must do the readings to participate in (or do well in) the course.