COURSE DESCRIPTION
In recent years bloody internal conflicts have erupted in places as different as Somalia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, Afghanistan, the former Zaire, and Chechnya. Revolutions and civil wars now occur more frequently than interstate wars. Moreover, a resurgence in ethnic and religious identifications have been cited as worrisome portents of internal conflicts to come. The proliferation of such conflicts, coupled with increased international involvement in them, makes any information about these conflicts valuable. Additionally, the rise in terrorism, the resurgence of genocide, and the continued repressiveness of regimes around the globe has, in some corners of the world, made political violence a part of everyday politics. In short, understanding why political violence occurs, how it is used or can be countered, and what are its effects is crucial to a clear understanding of the current global environment.

This course will introduce you to the study of large scale political violence. This material is often classified as a sub-field of either comparative politics or international relations, and is occasionally considered political sociology. Be warned!: this course will be taught as an upper level seminar, so a background in political science or history as well as a willingness to slog through some pretty hefty readings will be extremely helpful!

READINGS
The following books are required for the course (available for purchase in the Wilson Bookstore):

• COURSE PACKET: selected chapters from -- Goldstone, Jack A., Ted Robert Gurr, and Farrokh Moshiri, eds. (1991). Revolutions of the Late Twentieth Century. Boulder: Westview Press.
  
• Kimmel, Michael S. (1990). Revolution: A Sociological Interpretation. Temple University Press.
  
• Tarrow, Sidney (1998). Power in Movement: Social Movements, Collective Action, and Politics. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press.

Other required readings will be placed on reserve in the main library. Some readings will be available via the internet (just click on the links below)...

All readings MUST be completed by the class session for which they are assigned. They will be necessary background for lectures and discussion, and you will be held responsible for them, both in class and on exams.

Finally, you are expected to keep up with news around the world. This will require you to get your news from two or more of the following sources:

• 1) a major national or international newspaper such as The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, or The Wall Street Journal
  
• 2) a major news website such as the above papers' sites, MSNBC-Online, or CNN-Online
  
• 3) a major news magazine such as The Economist, Time, Newsweek, or US News & World Report
  
• 4) major public news outlets with comprehensive news coverage such as NPRÃs National Public Radio News (89.1 on the radio) or PBSÃs The News Hour with Jim Lehrer

EXAMS
There will be two take-home exams during the semester. The first exam will focus specifically on material covered in the first part of the semester (Theories of Collective Action and Political Violence). The second exam will focus primarily on the second section (Internal Wars), but will include elements that are cumulative. Cheating WILL NOT be tolerated, and will result in automatic failure for the course!

RESEARCH PAPER and PRESENTATION
You will be responsible for one larger (approximately 15-25 pages) research paper, due at the beginning of the last class of the semester (April 29). Each student will choose a topic related to political violence and/or revolutions, subject to approval by the instructor. Papers should address the nature of the problem/puzzle, what is generally thought in academic and policy circles about the issue, discuss your research/findings on the matter, and consider (and perhaps reject) alternative hypotheses. Possible topics will be discussed in class. Each class member will briefly present (5-7 minutes) his her paper and findings during the last few class sessions. They will then take questions for up to three minutes. The student¼s grade will then be calculated considering both paper and presentation quality. Further details on both the paper and presentation will be distributed by the instructor in class.

PARTICIPATION
Because of the seminar/discussion format of the class, participation is both encouraged and required. Your input and feedback is essential to the smooth and efficient running of the class. To that end, be sure to have read the materials pertaining to that day¼s discussion BEFORE that class period! My hope is that the classroom will contain an atmosphere in which ideas and opinions will be welcomed and addressed in a professional and intelligent manner. On rare occasions, discussion may have to be curtailed in the interests of covering the material.

GRADING
The grades will be assigned as follows:

25% = (Take-Home) Exam #1
25% = (Take-Home) Exam #2
35% = Final Paper/Presentation
15% = Participation / Etc. (*)

(*) "Etc." refers to other factors such as attendance, promptness, professionalism, overall improvement, and other intangibles, to he evaluated and assigned at the discretion of the instructor.

NOTES
Note #1: Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Any missed assignment or unexcused exam absence is subject to an automatic failing grade for the course (in other words, you cannot pass the class unless you do all of the work!). If you anticipate missing an exam or a paper deadline, consult with the instructor as soon as possible.

Note #2: Students are encouraged to study together and assist one another in learning the material. It is assumed that you have done your own work. In short, don't cheat and don't plagiarize. If you have doubts about whether something violates academic integrity, ask me.

Note #3: Students are encouraged to discuss assignments with me during office hours. However, students seeking to change their grade on an assignment or essay portion of an exam should be advised that I reserve the right to alter your grade in either direction (i.e.- if new problems are found during the regrade the grade would go down).

Note #4: It is your responsibility to inform me ahead of time about factors that are likely to interfere with your performance in the class. Measures for students with disabilities, non-native writers of English and other special issues will be taken in compliance with the college's policies.

I. Introduction

1/12 - Introduction To The Study of Political Violence and Revolutions

• Kimmel: ch.1
  
• Tarrow: ch.1

II. Theories of Collective Action and Political Violence

1/14 - History: Marxism, Neo-Marxism, and other Historical Arguments

• Kimmel: pp.16-25; ch's 4,5
  
• course packet: pp.4-17; ch 4 - [Vietnam]

1/19 - FILM: L.A. Is Burning

• reserve: Joel Kotkin and David Friedman (1993). The Los Angeles Riots.

1/21 Psychology and Grievances: Modernization and Deprivation

• Kimmel: pp.67-82
  
• course packet: pp.20-23
  
• reserve: Charles Tilly (1973). Does Modernization Breed Revolution?
  
• reserve: Joan Gurney and Kathleen Tierney (1982). Relative Deprivation and Social Movements: A Critical Look at Twenty Years of Theory and Research

1/26-1/28 - Costs and Benefits: Rational Choice and Moral Economy Arguments

• Kimmel: pp.193-206
  
• reserve: Jack Goldstone (1994). Is Revolution Individually Rational?
  
• reserve: Jeffrey Kopstein (1996). ???

2/2-2/4 - Resources and Opportunity: Resource Mobilization and Political Process Models

• Kimmel: pp.206-216
  
• Tarrow: ch's 5,8
  
• course packet: pp.23-26
  
• reserve: J. Craig Jenkins and Charles Perrow (1977). Insurgency of the Powerless: Farm Worker Movements (1946-1972)

2/9 - Re-evaluating Theories of Collective Action and Political Violence

• re-read: Joel Kotkin and David Friedman (1993). The Los Angeles Riots

III. Internal Wars: Revolutions and Civil Wars

2/11- An Introduction to Internal Wars

• NO READINGS

2/16-2/18 - Structuralists - Revolution and the State

• Kimmel: ch 6
  
• Tarrow: ch 4
  
• course packet: pp.26-36

2/23 - Revolutions From Above

• course packet: ch 8 - [Afghanistan]
  
• Barnett Rubin (1998). Statement on the Situation in Afghanistan. US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
  
• Maxwell A. Cameron (1998). Self-Coups: Peru, Guatemala, and Russia. Journal of Democracy. 9,1:125-139.

2/25 - Civil Wars and Secessionist Conflicts

• reserve: Stephen J. Stedman (1993). The End of the American Civil War
  
• reserve: James O¼Connell (1993). The Ending of the Nigerian Civil War

3/2 - Stopping the Killing: How Civil Wars End

• course packet: ch 11 - [Zimbabwe]
  
• reserve: Roy Licklider (1995). The Consequences of Negotiated Settlements In Civil Wars (1945-1993)

3/4 - Recap: From Mobilization to Revolution

• NO READINGS

IV. Tactics and Identity Issues

3/22 - 3/25 - Violence or Nonviolence?: Terrorism, Repression, and Other Tactical Choices

• Tarrow: ch's 6,9
  
• course packet: ch 13 - [The Intifada]
  
• reserve: Karl-Dieter Opp and Wolfgang Ruehl (1990). Repression, Micromobilization, and Political Protest
  
• reserve: William Gamson (1975). The Success of the Unruly
  
• reserve: Walter Laqueur (1998). The New Face of Terrorism

3/30 - Ideology and Issue Framing

• course packet: ch 6 - [Iran]
  
• Tarrow: ch 7

4/1 - Ethnic Conflict and State Disintegration

• reserve: Ted R. Gurr and Barbara Harff (1994). Ethnic Conflict in World Politics. chapters 1-3 (pp. 1-52).
  
• John R. Bowen (1996). The Myth of Global Ethnic Conflict. Journal of Democracy. 7,4:3-14).

4/6 - 4/8 - State-Sponsored Mass Murder

• course packet: ch 10 - [Cambodia]
  
• reserve: Human Rights Watch (1995). Rwanda
  
• reserve: Barbara Harff (1992). Recognizing Genocides and Politicides

4/13 - The Domestic-International Conflict Nexus

• course packet: ch 5 - [Nicaragua]
  
• reserve: Stephen Walt (1992). Revolution and War

4/15 - FILM: After the Velvet Revolution

• NO READINGS

4/20 - Post-Political Violence Outcomes

• reserve: Jonathan Kelley and Herbert Klein (1981). Revolution and the Rebirth of Inequality.
  
• United Nations High Commission for Refugees (1996). Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Refugees, 103,I.
  
• United Nations High Commission for Refugees (1996). The Hidden Face of the Refugee Problem. Refugees, 103,I.

4/22 - 4/29 - PRESENTATIONS OF RESEARCH

General Comparative Politics Links

• Global Hot Spots!
  
• Nationalism Links
  
• Hisotry Reources on the Web
  
• Electoral Web Sites
  
• Revolutionaries
  
• Contemporary Conflicts
  
• Amnesty International's annual reports on worldwide human rights violations
  
• Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Updates