Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Conflict and Peace in Deeply Divided Societies
School	Government
Department	Political Sci & Intern'tl Stud
Module Code	08 38862
Module Lead	Laurence Cooley
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module examines the causes of violent conflict in societies that are deeply divided along ethnic, national, religious or linguistic lines. It introduces students to a number of theoretical approaches to understanding the nature of these divisions and the causes and consequences of inter-communal conflict, including their international aspects. It surveys the ways in which conflict in such societies has been managed or resolved, including through peace processes leading to the introduction of institutional mechanisms such as power-sharing or federalism, as well as approaches to facilitating reconciliation. The module combines theory with historical and contemporary case studies from around the world, potentially including but not limited to the former Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Lebanon, Rwanda and South Africa.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the variety of theoretical approaches to explaining conflict in deeply divided societies Identify and describe case studies of violent intra-state conflict throughout the world, locating them in their appropriate historical and political contexts Critically analyse the opportunities and limitations for the resolution of violent conflict in deeply divided societies Employ scholarly literature and primary sources to solve complex problems
Assessment	38862-01 : 1,000 word essay : Coursework (25%) 38862-02 : 2,500 word essay : Coursework (75%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 1000 word essay (25%) 1 x 2500 word essay (75%). Reassessment by failed component
Other
Reading List