Course Details Language of Instruction Turkish Level of Course Unit Master's Degree Department / Program Political Science and International Relations (Non-Thesis) Type of Program Formal Education Type of Course Unit Elective Course Delivery Method Face To Face Objectives of the Course The objective of this course is to have students interpret the conflicts and their resolution discourses. The ultimate objective is to explain and understand the escalations regarding their challenges and how to resolve them to achieve a transition period and peace per the preferences in international politics. In this context, this course aims to enhance student's skills for the following objectives: • Understand conflict theories and intervention techniques • Recognize the complexity of underlying causes and contributing factors to conflicts at various levels • Develop skills to think critically, systematically, and comparatively about various types of conflicts • Evaluate different approaches and models to analyzing and resolving conflicts in a variety of contexts • Examine contemporary conflicts, their conditions, dynamics, stakeholders, and conflict resolution efforts • Compare different conflict resolution techniques according to their advantages, disadvantages and practicality • Apply theoretical concepts and conflict assessment tools to various conflict contexts Course Content This is an introductory course to the interdisciplinary field of Conflict Resolution (CR). This course introduces the fundamental concepts, theoretical frameworks and practical tools of the CR field. The course is designed to introduce students to academic thinking about complicated conflicts in various contexts. Students will get familiar with the development of the field, key theorists and important debates within the field. Practical applications of the knowledge that is produced in the field and major conflict resolution approaches will be briefly introduced. The course will also discuss the relevance and practical utility of the concepts and processes within different real-life contexts. The course is organized along three parts; the first part will introduce students the key concepts of the field, conflict theories as well as the conflict analysis and mapping tools. Second part will introduce students the practical tools and processes that are used to mitigate, transform, resolve and manage various sorts of violent conflicts. The third part will focus on the integration of theory and practical tools within the selected conflict cases. A number of major issues facing the field such as culture and power will also be elaborated in the third part. Case analyses of selected conflicts will be studied and presented by study teams. We will discuss some of the ongoing conflicts such as the Eastern Mediterranean issue, the War in Syria, Iraq’s post Daesh situation, Libya, Afghanistan, Gazza or Balkans. It is therefore necessary to follow the contemporary issues and developments. Course Methods and Techniques Lecture, discussion-based lecture. Prerequisites and co-requisities None Course Coordinator None Name of Lecturers Associate Prof.Dr. Murat Aslan https://profil.hku.edu.tr/akademik/murat-aslan/ murat.aslan@hku.edu.tr Assistants None Work Placement(s) No Recommended or Required Reading Resources 1. Ramsbotham, Oliver, Tom Woodhouse, and Hugh Miall. Contemporary Conflict Resolution 4th ed. Polity, 2016. [CCR] 2. Tom Woodhouse, Hugh Miall, Oliver Ramsbotham and Christopher Mitchell (eds.) The Contemporary Conflict Resolution Reader, Polity, 2015. [CCR Reader] 3. Christopher Mitchell. The Nature of Intractable Conflict Resolution in the Twenty-First Century. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. [The Nature of Intractable Conflict] 4. Wallensteen, Peter. Understanding Conflict Resolution 5th ed. Sage Publication, 2019. 5. Mac Ginty, Roger (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Peacebuilding. Routledge Publications, 2013. 6. Lederach, John Paul. The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace. Oxford University Press, USA, 2010 (selected chapters). 7. Séverine Autessere, Peaceland: Conflict Resolution and Everyday Politics of International Intervention (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014) Course Notes Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to realize PY-1 Fundamental Concepts and Theories, PY-4 Multi-disciplinary study, PY-5 Independent study, PY-6 Assume responsibility. In this sense, this course aims to realize the following outcomes: Build interdisciplinary conceptual toolbox of the Conflict Analysis and Resolution field • Compare and contrast main theories and currents of thinking in the field of conflict analysis and resolution. • Conduct thorough assessment of conflict situations and determine what factors cause conflict and impact the direction it takes. • Link theory to practice by examining different case studies from the international arena. • Assess the complex causes and the dynamics of contemporary conflicts. • Critically evaluate competing theoretical approaches and practical methods of resolving intra-state and inter-state conflicts. • Identify the origins and dynamics of specific cases of intractable conflict. • Apply some of the theoretical approaches of conflict management/ resolution and transformation perspectives related to intractable conflicts.