Παρουσίαση/Προβολή

1. Instructor

Leonidas Karakatsanis is Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics at the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki Greece and a Honorary Fellow of the British Institute at Ankara. His research interests include the politics of identity and reconciliation, peace and conflict transformation, nationalism, minority rights, immigration, civil society and the politics of resistance. His theoretical interests include discourse theory, theory of deconstruction, theories of affect, post-structuralist political theory and interdisciplinary approaches to social and political sciences. [see personal page]

2. Learning outcomes

The General Cognitive Objectives of the course are

a) To familiarise students with various types of conflict, including interstate conflicts, ethnic conflicts, and civil wars.

b) To introduce students to key theories of conflict management in International Relations—including conflict management, resolution, and transformation—as well as reconciliation theories in politics, such as transitional justice, theories of reconciliation, and contact theory.

c) To develop regional expertise in the history and politics of conflict and reconciliation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

d) To consolidate knowledge of the role played by different institutions and actors in fuelling, transforming, or resolving conflicts, including states, regional and international institutions, NGOs, and social movements.

Specific Cognitive Objectives

a) To deepen students’ understanding of four key case studies of conflict and reconciliation that have significant implications for broader peace prospects in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: the Kurdish Issue, the Cyprus Issue, and Greek-Turkish and Turkish-Armenian relations.

b) To contextualise these case studies within the wider historical and geopolitical framework of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

c) To establish clear criteria for analysing and explaining conflict and reconciliation processes beyond the four case studies examined in the course.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students:

a) will be able to articulate well-informed perspectives on issues of conflict and reconciliation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

b) will be able to approach conflict as a multi-causal phenomenon, avoiding reductionism or the uncritical adoption of particular ‘sides’.

c) will have developed a comprehensive understanding of how, why, and when peace and reconciliation efforts succeed or fail.

d) will be familiar with the primary tools of conflict management.

3. Assessment Methods

There are two options for Successful Completion of the Course

A. Final Exams
Students will be assessed based on an oral examination at the end of the semester, covering the entire course bibliography. This exam constitutes 100% of the final grade.
Note: While this option is available, it is not the preferred method of evaluation.

B. Alternative (combined) Evaluation
This option (strongly recommended) features a combined assessment, consisting of the following components:

• Class attendance and participation: 30% of the final grade
• Mid-term exam (Week 8): 30% of the final grade
• Final Project: 40% of the Final Grade
  The final project is a group-based assignment, which includes both a group presentation and a final written paper. It is assessed at both the group and individual levels.

4. General course structure

The course is structured as follows

Introduction

• Theorising Conflict: Conflict typologies
• Theories of Conflict: Management, Resolution, and Transformation
• Theories of Reconciliation: Transitional Justice and Contact Theory
• Actors in Conflict and Conflict Transformation: State vs Non-State Actors; National, Regional, and International Perspectives

Defining the Context

• Defining the Geography: The Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East—The Centrality of Conflict and Reconciliation
• The Prototype of Conflict: The Impact of the Israel-Palestine Conflict on the Wider Region
• Turkey as a ‘Cusp’ State: The Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, and the Middle East
• The Significance of Turkey as a Hub of Conflict and Reconciliation

Examination of the Case Studies

The Kurdish Issue (in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran)

• The Historical Context: The Regional Dimension
• Contemporary National and International Politics
• The Case of Iraqi Kurdistan
• The Syrian Civil War and the Rojava Project
• Peace and Reconciliation Processes in Turkey: From Imminent Success to Total Collapse?
• The Issue of Transitional Justice: Memory, Violence, and Democracy

The Cyprus Issue

• The Historical Context
• Local, Regional, and International Perspectives: Cyprus, Europe, and the Middle East
• A Proxy War? Kin-State Theories and the Role of Turkey and Greece
• Peace and Reconciliation Processes: From the State to Civil Society and Back
• Examining the Failure of the 2004 and 2017 Efforts to Broker a Deal

Turkish-Armenian Relations

• The Burden of History: Genocide, Revenge, and the Internationalisation of the Armenian Issue
• Diasporas and Minorities: Entangled Histories, Contrasting Perspectives
• Peace and Reconciliation Processes: ‘1 ½ Track’ Diplomacy
• Conflict Proximity: Nagorno-Karabakh / Artsakh

Greek-Turkish Relations

• The Historical Context: The Pendulum Between “Enmity” and “Friendship”—The Golden Years (1930-1954), Layers of Crises (1954-1999), the ‘New Friendship’ (1999-2007), and the New Escalation (2007-Present)
• The Greek-Turkish Dispute Since 1974: A Detailed Examination
• Peace and Reconciliation Processes After 1974: The Role of Civil Society Vanguards
• Examining the Parallels: Greek-Turkish and Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Efforts—Successes and Failures

Interconnections and Comparisons