Senior Project Advisor

Rachel Paul

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2023

Keywords

Peace Studies, Political Science, War, Conflict, Syllabus

Abstract

This proposed course explores the field of peace studies, examining the state of peace and conflict in the world from the perspective of international relations and comparative politics. Is peace simply the absence of conflict? Are humans naturally drawn towards war? How do we achieve peace? Where has peace worked and where has it failed? What institutions or processes lead to or inhibit the establishment of peace? The course dives into conflict prevention, the erosion of peace, methods of conflict resolution and management, the issue of peacekeeping, and the process of peace building. Through group presentations, in-depth reading, and individual research, students will learn about the key concepts of peace studies and how they apply to modern and historical conflicts. The class will include various case studies and draw on numerous examples of peace processes and times of war in order to illustrate the complex nature of peace. While peace studies is an extremely interdisciplinary field, this course will focus primarily on its application in political science, specifically on intrastate and interstate conflicts and peace processes. The final product takes the form of a syllabus designed for use in WWU's Political Science department.

Department

Political Science

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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