Ethnopolitics - ZHSS3417

This course examines the relationship between 'ethnicity' (broadly defined) and politics. Students will be introduced to the conceptual debates within the multidisciplinary field of ethnic studies and will be required to critically assess the political dynamics of specific case studies. Part I examines definitional debates about ethnicity and nationalism and considers the relationship between theory and policy. Part II compares and contrasts various political and social contexts where ethnic cleavages have become sources of conflict and those where communal differences have not led to conflict. In particular the claim that democracy and civil society offer some insurance against ethnic conflict will be scrutinised. Part III examines the international politics of ethnic conflict. Many contemporary ethnic conflicts have their origins in the legacies of imperialism. Modern forces such as globalisation have exacerbated or ameliorated the conditions for ethnic conflict. Part IV surveys strategies for the management, resolution and reconciliation between ethnic communities.