POLI 365 - Civil Wars and Rebel Movements

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as INTL 365) Since World War II, civil wars have vastly outnumbered interstate wars, and have killed, conservatively, five times as many people as interstate wars. This seminar explores contemporary civil wars from a variety of different angles and approaches drawn primarily from political science, but also other disciplines. In addition, we consider personal accounts, journalistic coverage, and films that illustrate the reality of contemporary warfare. The course is divided into three sections, each of which emphasizes the transnational nature of contemporary civil wars. First, we read a selection of differing perspectives on the causes and consequences of civil conflicts. Next, we explore literature on the organization and behavior of rebel organizations by rebel theorists and academics. And finally, we consider different case studies from different parts of the world. Mr. Mampilly.

Prerequisite(s): permission of the instructor.

One 2-hour period.

Courses numbered 310-319 are advanced courses that meet twice a week and are limited to nineteen students. These courses do not require permission of the instructor for sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have taken at least one previous political science course. These courses can meet the requirement for two graded 300-level courses but do not meet the requirement of one 300-level seminar during the senior year. Seminars in the 340s, 350s, 360s, and 370s are generally limited to twelve students and require permission of the instructor. Students taking seminars are expected to have taken relevant course-work at a lower level. The content of seminars can vary from year to year depending upon interests of students and instructors. Seminars might focus on topics too specialized to receive exhaustive treatment in lower-level courses; they might explore particular approaches to the discipline or particular methods of research; they might be concerned with especially difficult problems in political life, or be oriented toward a research project of the instructor. The thesis (POLI 300, POLI 301, POLI 302) and senior independent work (POLI 399) require permission of the instructor.