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The course focuses on the issue of conflicts, with a special focus on their violent and armed variety, taking into account their origins, evolution, partial concepts and main aspects of the ongoing academic debate. For further details, please check the sections below, or, better still, download the syllabus of the course for summer semester 2021 from the files section above.
In summer semester 2021, the course will be taught online, until legislative measures allow return to in-class lectures, using the MS Teams platform (the link for online lectures is provided in the section "Teaching methods"). You do not have to download any application, but you can help ease the process of online teaching by setting up a Charles University MS Teams account (please check here for instructions: https://cczv.cuni.cz/CCZV-220-version1-how_to_sign_in_into_teams.pdf). Here's why: Once you set up your ChU MS Teams account, you will be able to enter each online session of the course without the tutor having to let you in. If you do not want or do not manage to get the account, you will still be able to access to classes, but slight delays might occur as the tutor will have to let each of you in manually. Many thanks in advance for your patience and help! Tomáš Karásek (tomas.karasek@fsv.cuni.cz), office hours: Thursday 13:00-15:00, online (meet.google.com/qqe-bvys-zuw; to register for a specific time, please go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JdduY0BzfW22QubuHYBMNzW_BQzzwhe3c302QTHwHrE/edit#gid=0) Last update: Karásek Tomáš, PhDr. JUDr., Ph.D. (09.02.2021)
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The course revolves around the concept of conflict, focusing especially on its violent forms. The opening lectures present important milestones in the development of the conceptualization of conflict and security, and outline basic theoretical perspectives on the role of conflict in politics and social relations, including the process of construction of security threats. The rest of the course tackles specific conflict-related issues, mostly those connected to armed conflicts. First the typology of political and armed conflicts is introduced, followed by the reflection on the origins of conflict, conflict prevention, management and resolution, intractable conflicts and post-conflict reconstruction. Remaining topics include the role natural resources in armed conflicts and the challenges of non-violent resistance in a political conflict. Last update: Karásek Tomáš, PhDr. JUDr., Ph.D. (27.07.2025)
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Mid-term exam (30 %): The goal of the mid-term exam is to stimulate students to think out-of-the-box when applying the concepts used during the previous lectures in an analysis of a movie selected by the course convenor. The film will be made available in advance for all students to see. On 26 November 2025, students will be given an assignment in Moodle where they will also write their answers thereto. The answers will be subsequently reviewed and graded by the tutors.
Group policy paper (30 %): By the end of October, students will be divided into working groups. All working groups will then be assigned the same topic: how to solve a selected on-going real-world conflict. Each working group will be assigned a shared document where it will eventually present the policy paper. The structure of the policy paper should include (but does not by any means have to be limited to) an introduction into the topic, an analysis of the main challenges and a final set of recommendations. Expected length of the paper is 1500 words. References to sources are expected. All papers will need to be finalized by 2 December 2025. Subsequently, they will be reviewed by the course tutors who will provide collective feedback at the session on December 16, 2025.
Final written exam (40 %) The final written exam takes the form of two extensive essays (out of three suggested topics) on the themes presented throughout the semester as well as contained in required readings. The tasks will be formulated in a form which will require the application of horizontal thinking across the concepts dealt with in the course and the ability to present original argumentation supported by relevant facts and information from the readings. The exam will be written in Moodle (as an equivalent of an in-class exam) – several terms will be provided throughout the exam period in January and February 2025.
Evaluation is performed in accordance to the Dean’s Provision. Last update: Karásek Tomáš, PhDr. JUDr., Ph.D. (27.07.2025)
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For the assignment of the readings to individual lectures, please check the syllabus file.
Last update: Karásek Tomáš, PhDr. JUDr., Ph.D. (09.02.2021)
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1) Introduction and organization of the course (lecture) 2) Between war and positive peace: theoretical reflection of conflict and peaceful coexistence (lecture) 3) Conflict and securitization: how threats are born (lecture) 4) The concept of conflict and typology of armed conflicts (lecture) 5) Origins of conflict and methods of conflict prevention (lecture) 6) Conflict management: pacific procedures, sanctions and military instruments (lecture) 7) Mid-term exam 8) Traditional and innovative methods of conflict resolution (lecture) 9) Wars without end and the dilemmas of post-conflict reconstruction (lecture) 10) Material underpinnings: natural resources and armed conflicts (guest lecture) 11) Better than arms? Non-violence as a method of waging conflict (lecture) 12) Group papers evaluation 13) Conclusive remarks Last update: Karásek Tomáš, PhDr. JUDr., Ph.D. (09.02.2021)
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