Warlords, terrorists, and militias: theorizing on violent non-state actors
Master
In Maynard (USA)
Description
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Type
Master
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Location
Maynard (USA)
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Start date
Different dates available
This course is a general overview of the recent political science literature on violent non-state actors. Its aim is to examine why non-state actors (such as warlords, terrorists, militias, etc.) resort to violence, what means and tactics they use, and what can be done to counter that violence. In that regard, the class will cover works pertaining to the production side of non-state violence (i.e. the objectives and organization of insurgents/terrorists/militias/warlords, their mobilization strategies and support base, how they coerce opponents, etc.); as well as the response that violence elicits from governments or other actors (i.e. counter-insurgency or counter-terrorism strategies, among others). Apart from introducing the basic variables and theoretical and empirical findings in the literature, this course will also grapple with questions of definition, operationalization of variables, and general methodology relevant to conducting research in this area of violent conflict. Though thematically-driven, this course will also reference cases from the contemporary battlefields of insurgency and terrorism (be it Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, the West Bank and Gaza, Colombia, etc.) as they relate to the pertinent themes.
Facilities
Location
Start date
Start date
Reviews
Subjects
- Works
- Presentation
Course programme
Lectures: 1 session / week, 2 hours / session
This class will be run as a seminar and students are expected to do all readings and participate in class discussions. Apart from class attendance and participation, students will be expected to serve as discussants at least twice during the semester (depending on class enrollment). In the week that they are assigned to be class discussants, students will have to critically review the assigned readings and give a 15 minute presentation of the general points made by the authors, highlighting the related as well as conflicting arguments, and underlying the respective works' analytical strengths and weaknesses. Discussant assignments will be made the first week of class. A 2-3 page memo on the points that are intended to be discussed should be emailed to the instructor by midnight on the day before the class presentation.
Students will also have to write a 20-30 page paper due during the last week of class. The paper can be a research design paper or a draft of a paper intended for publication. If it is the latter, it should contain a theoretical argument and an empirical test of that argument. Paper topics must be based on one of the main themes of the course and approved by the instructor. A one-page description of the paper topic will be due in Ses #6 of class and a 15-minute presentation for class feedback in Ses #9. Though the one-page paper topic description and the presentation will not be graded, they will be great opportunities to get feedback on the prospective paper and should be utilized as such.
Graduate students and advanced undergraduates.
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Warlords, terrorists, and militias: theorizing on violent non-state actors