Checking date: 19/05/2025 18:13:51


Course: 2025/2026

Conflict and Violence
(19614)
Bachelor in International Studies (Plan: 504 - Estudio: 305)


Coordinating teacher: SANCHEZ-CUENCA RODRIGUEZ, IGNACIO

Department assigned to the subject: Social Sciences Department

Type: Basic Core
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Objectives
The objectives of this course are: -Introduce the concepts of conflict and political violence -Understand the causes of political violence -Analyze theories of wars between states -Analyze theories of civil wars -Analyze theories of terrorism -Analyze other types of violence (repression, genocide, ethnic cleansing) -Become familiar with geostrategic approaches to conflict
Learning Outcomes
K3: To know basic humanistic contents, oral and written expression, following ethical principles and completing a multidisciplinary training profile. K4: Acquire knowledge of the economic, legal, political and social reality from a comparative perspective. K7: To know and understand the main models of political, economic and social organization of States and the processes of change in contemporary societies and politics. S3: Plan and organize team work making the right decisions based on available information and gathering data in digital environments. S5: Apply knowledge to identify with rigor, precision and scientific objectivity the social processes and possible solutions. S8: Knowing how to propose and use the appropriate tools to solve basic problems of economic, social and political content, especially in the international context. S10: Ability to gather and interpret relevant data and knowledge for the elaboration and defense of arguments on topics in their area of study. C1: To know how to analyze, elaborate and defend individually a problem of interdisciplinary field of the Degree applying the knowledge, skills, tools and strategies acquired or developed in it. C3: Ability to establish good interpersonal communication and to work in multidisciplinary and international teams. C4: Be able to engage in lifelong autonomous learning, enabling them to adapt to new situations.
Description of contents: programme
This course addresses the causes, consequences, and trends of conflict in the world. It presents the various types of conflicts (inter-state wars, intra-state wars, terrorism, ethnic conflict, state repression), their long-term evolution, their political, economic and social causes and their consequences for the world order. 1. The Concept of Political Violence 2. Historical Trends in Political Violence 3. Wars Between States 4. Civil Wars 5. Terrorism 6. Repression, Genocide, and Ethnic Cleansing 7. Political Violence and Geostrategy
Learning activities and methodology
THEORETICAL PRACTICAL CLASSES Knowledge and concepts students must acquire. Student receive course notes and will have basic reference texts to facilitatefollowing the classes and carrying out follow up work.Students partake in exercises to resolve practical problems and participatein workshops and an evaluation tests, all geared towards acquiring the necessary capabilities.Subjects with 6 ECTS are44 hours as a general rule/ 100% classroom instruction. TUTORING SESSIONS Individualized attendance (individual tutoring) or in-group (group tutoring) for students with a teacher. Subjects with 6 credits have 4 hours of tutoring/ 100% on- site attendance. STUDENT INDIVIDUAL WORK OR GROUP WORK Subjects with 6 credits have 98 hours/0% on-site.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination/test 60
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 40




Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • Cederman, Lars-Erik, Kristian S. Gleditsch & Halvard Buhaug. Inequality, Grievance, and Civil War. Cambridge University Press. 2013
  • De la Calle, Luis e Ignacio Sánchez-Cuenca. Underground Violence. On the Nature of Terrorism. Oxford University Press. 2024
  • Doyle, Michael. Cold Peace. Liveright. 2023
  • Gat, Azar. The Causes of War and the Spread of Peace. Oxford University Press. 2017
  • Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. Columbia University Press. 2017
  • Malesevic, Sinisa. The Rise of Organised Brutality. A Historical Sociology of Violence. Cambridge University Press. 2017
  • Mason, David & Sarah McLaughlin. What Do We Know about Civil Wars?. Rowman & Littlefield. 2023
  • Pinker, Steven. The Better Angels of our Nature. Penguin. 2011
  • Reiter, Dan. Understanding War and Peace. Cambridge University Press. 2023

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.