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HU Credits:
2
Degree/Cycle:
2nd degree (Master)
Responsible Department:
European Studies
Semester:
1st Semester
Teaching Languages:
Hebrew
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Dr. Daniel Wajner
Coordinator Office Hours:
Teaching Staff:
Dr. Daniel Wajner
Course/Module description:
This course deals with the scientific study of conflict resolution and management in international relations, using cases of intractable conflicts in Europe as a “laboratory”. The course begins by introducing students to various theoretical frameworks for studying the prevention, administration, and resolution of conflicts, while applying didactic tools from Game Theory and Negotiation Analysis to illustrate the benefits and challenges of the different analytical approaches. Students then implement these contents to explore multiple conflict resolution experiences in contemporary Europe (including Ukraine, Cyprus, Catalonia, Euskal Herria, Bosnia, Ireland, Armenia, and Belarus), which will be presented in class and discussed collectively. The course concludes with a lively discussion on the future of conflicts in Europe amid recent political events, including an exploration of the opportunities and pitfalls of conflict resolution approaches in understanding and explaining them.
Course/Module aims:
- Encourage the study of multiple processes of conflict resolution in contemporary Europe and their different contexts that contributed to shaping them, both locally and internationally.
- Introduce students to theoretical and methodological tools applied to analyze the variables affecting the prevention, administration, and resolution of conflicts in the region, which they will use to delve deeper on the dynamics of one specific case study.
- Train participants in the use of conflict resolution and negotiation techniques, through exercises, didactic games, and simulation practices.
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Know basic knowledge about some of the most important conflicts in contemporary Europe and their different processes to manage and/or resolve them.
- Design, together with a group, their own research project focused on a single case, which will later be presented in class.
- Critically read relevant academic literature and policy-oriented analysis to further understand the dynamics of conflict resolution.
- Internalize some basic principles of international negotiation through games and simulations.
Attendance requirements(%):
80
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
Text discussions; negotiations games; simulations and roleplaying dynamics; students’ presentations; group work.
Course/Module Content:
Lesson 1 – Mapping conflicts in contemporary Europe and introduction to the course.
Lesson 2 – Understanding a conflict. Relevant definitions, typologies, and terminology. “Intractable Conflicts”. Different approaches to analyze the sources, dynamics, and effects of conflicts (structural, strategic/rational, procedural/bureaucratic, and cognitive).
Lesson 3 – Preventing and administrating a conflict. Phases on conflict management. Prevention techniques. The danger of escalation and de-materialization. Rational choice and prospect theory in conflict resolution. Regimes. Illustrations from contemporary Europe.
Lesson 4 – Resolving a conflict. Ripeness. Barriers, spoilers, and protected values in conflict resolution. The role of justice and truth. Learning. Reconciliation. Illustrations from contemporary Europe.
Lesson 5 – Negotiation analysis: Definitions and terminology. Actors, stakeholders, and negotiators. Negotiation stages/phases, rounds. Taxonomies of negotiation analysis. Decision structures. Negotiation method: The “Harvard” integrative method. The role of power structures, asymmetries, hierarchies, and time in negotiation. Illustrations from contemporary Europe.
Lesson 6 – From international negotiation to conflict resolution. The quest for a negotiated peace settlement. The agenda of negotiation. Techniques. The role of culture and contexts in negotiation. Third-party intervention: Facilitation, Mediation, Arbitration. Multilateral negotiations, coalitions, and alliances. Voting, ratification, and compliance. Legitimacy and conflict resolution. Illustrations from contemporary Europe.
Lesson 7 – Presentation of Case 1 (TBD) and collective discussion.
Lesson 8 – Presentation of Case 2 (TBD) and collective discussion.
Lesson 9 – Presentation of Case 3 (TBD) and collective discussion.
Lesson 10 – Presentation of Case 4 (TBD) and collective discussion.
Lesson 11 – Simulation 1
Lesson 12 – Simulation 2
Lesson 13 – Debate: The future of conflict resolution in contemporary Europe
Required Reading:
Bercovitch, Jacob, Victor Kremenyuk, and I. William Zartman (eds.). 2008. The SAGE handbook of conflict resolution. (New York: Sage)
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Deutsch, Morton, Peter T. Coleman, and Eric C. Marcus (eds.). 2006. The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
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Kriesberg, Louis, Terrell A. Northrup, and Stuart J. Thorson (eds.). 1989. Intractable conflicts and their transformation. Syracuse University Press.
Ramsbotham, Oliver, Hugh Miall, and Tom Woodhouse. 2011. Contemporary conflict resolu-tion. Cambridge: Polity.
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Zartman, William. I. 2000. "Ripeness: The hurting stalemate and beyond." In P.C. Stern and D. Druckman, International conflict resolution after the Cold War (DC: Nat. Academy Press), 225-50
Additional Reading Material:
Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 30 %
Participation in Tutorials 30 %
Project work 40 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %
Additional information:
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