Høst 2024

SVF-3021 Integrated Peace and Conflict Studies - 20 stp

The course is administrated by

Senter for fredsstudier (CPS)

Type of course

The course is compulsory for Master's degree students in Peace and Conflict Transformation (MPCT), but also open to other Master's students.

Course contents

The course focuses on the central philosophical and theoretical debates regarding peace, violence and conflict, and provides the foundation for the critical analysis of these phenomena from different academic perspectives.

The course serves as an introduction to the field of peace and conflict studies and illuminates key issues and problems connected with contemporary peace research. Drawing from different theoretical approaches and empirical examples, the course highlights different ways for critically reflecting on various aspects of peace, violence and conflict. To this end, the course is divided into three distinct interconnected components: First, it provides an introduction and comprehensive overview of the historical roots, key concepts, theories, and trends in peace and conflict research including decolonizing perspectives. Second, it integrates academic approaches (from humanities, social sciences and law) to the study of peace and conflict, and third it illustrates these approaches with relevant case studies from various geographical regions.

Admission requirements

Students who are not registered for the Master`s Degree Programme in Peace and Conflict Transformation (MPCT), must have a Bachelor`s degree in the Humanities or Social Sciences with an average grade equivalent to C or better in the Norwegian grading system .

Objective of the course

Students who have successfully completed the course should have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge:

Have an overview and understanding of the broad issues and philosophical debates underlying the field of peace and conflict studies
Become familiar with the core concepts and theories in peace and conflict studies
Have an understanding of peace and conflict studies as a distinct and an applied field of study

Analytical understanding:

Have the ability to critically review the nature and causes of inter-personal, inter-group and inter-state conflicts and the related peace-building strategies
Have the ability to critically reflect on the evolution and operations of Western political institutions and issues raised with their use in the contemporary global order
Have the ability to critically review the international political economy - ideologies and attitudes towards violent conflicts, war and peace
Have the ability to review the interplay between international law, regional bodies (EU) and peace

Skills and competences:

Capable of exploring the contextual issues underlying conflict sources, processes and transformation conflict of violent conflicts
Capable of exploring competing perspectives on violent conflicts and resolution, including non-western ways of understanding and responding to conflict
Capable of relating theoretical and methodological frameworks from a variety of disciplines to violent conflicts and peace processes at all levels of human interaction (interpersonal, national and international)
Capable of taking responsibility for one's own learning by working independently towards the realization of the course objectives

Language of instruction

English

Teaching methods

There will be a mix of lectures and seminar discussions. The course is to be evaluated by the SSL forum each semester the course is offered as well as in an anonymous online evaluation every second time the course is offered.