PS- 5410: INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION
SPRING 2011
DR. CHARLES P. KELLY
HUTCHINSON HALL
Classroom: HH-234
Wednesdays – 4:30 – 7:15 PM
Phone: 908-737-3992/3990
Email ckelly@kean.edu
Office Hours: M – 9:30 – 11:00 AM, 2:00 – 3:30 PM
T – 11:00 AM– 1:00 PM
W – 2:00 – 4:00 - PM
Th. 10:00 – 11:00 AM
In the event of misplacing your syllabus, and/or term paper guidelines, you can acquire an
additional copy off my web page. http://www.kean.edu/~ckelly.
International Conflict Resolution introduces students to the origin, nature and possible outcomes
of conflict. It focuses on conflict primarily at the systemic level, but also looks at conflict from
the interstate and instrastate levels. The course will review various techniques used by
professionals, specialized government agencies and others to resolve and manage conflict.
Students are responsible for the required reading material assigned. Additional reading
assignments will be made during the semester. The final grade for the course will be based on a
term paper, and a comprehensive exam. The comprehensive exam will be based on all
material covered in the course, i.e., readings, lectures and discussions. The Term Paper
should be based on an international conflict. Separate guidelines for the Term Paper are
provided.
BOOKS REQUIRED FOR THE COURSE ARE:
I. William Zartman, ed. Peacemaking In International Conflict (Washington, D. C.: United States
Institute of Peace, 2007) ISBN: 1-929223-66-8
READINGS AND OTHER ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF:
January 17 – 31
Toward A Theory of Conflict
National Power (webpage)
Six Principles of Political Realism (webpage)
Zartman, pp. 3 – 61, 465 – 479
February 7
Social-Psychological Factors
Zartman, pp. 61 – 163
Dahl “Political Conflict, Coercion and Popular Government”
(webpage)
February 14 March 21
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Zartman, pp. 163 – 227, 419 – 465
Allison’s “Conceptual Models of Decision Making” (webpage)
Janis “Groupthink” (webpage)
Schelling “Arms and Influence” (webpage)
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March 14 – 20
Spring Recess
March 28 – April 11
Terrorism, Intervention and the Post Soviet World
S. Huntington “Clash of Civilization” (webpage)
F. Fukuyama “The End of History” (webpage)
F. Fukuyama “After neo Conservatism” (webpage)
Zartman, pp. 227 – 419
April 13
Oral Presentations of Papers
Presentations will be organized by topics
1 page outline and 1 page bibliography
April 20
Oral Presentations of Papers
Organized by topics
1 page outline and 1 page bibliography
April 27
Review
(papers due 12 – 15 pages)
May 4
Final Examination
May 7
Feedback
Oral Presentation
Examination
Term Paper
20%
40%
40%
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PS-5410 International Conflict Resolution
Dr. Charles Kelly
Guidelines for Term Paper
Students need to select a conflict, interstate or intrastate, and apply the various theories
discussed in class e.g., ideology, clash of civilization, national interest, ethnic conflict, etc.
Students need to provide a thorough description of the parties to the dispute and their
respective positions.
Students need to identify what has been done in terms of conflict resolution and whether
the conflict seems amenable to resolution in the near future. Identify various approaches that
have been employed to address the conflict and discuss their effectiveness.
Students need to use the proper scholarly style relevant to their degree program e.g.,
political scientists should use the Chicago style. The paper should be 12 – 15 pages in length
excluding the bibliography.
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