PACS 201: Approaches to and Analyses of Peace Theories
8th Batch 2nd Semester, Session 2013-2014
Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
University of Dhaka
Course Duration
Time and Day
Location
Course Teacher
Contact
Office Hour
:
:
:
:
:
06 July, 2014-25 November, 2014
12.00 pm – 1.00 pm, Monday, and 12:00 pm-1:00 pm, Wednesday
Arts Building, Room No: 5002
Mohammad Shaheenur Alam
shaheenbd13@gmail.com; +88 01712 296527
3.00 pm-4.40pm, Wednesday, Room No. 5003
Learning Objectives:
This course, in general, is committed to explore different approaches and theories of peace and peace
studies. It will discuss a series of topics that have occupied the concern of peace researchers over the
past 50 years. It offers key approaches in peace studies and brings them up to today’s research
frontier. It will also provide an overview of the development of peace theories and pursues how peace
has grappled with theoretical ideas from realism, liberalism, Marxism, and feminism.
This course is perceived as one of the foundation courses of Peace and Conflict Studies. As a
foundation course, it will explore different school of thoughts regarding peace studies. Students will
know the leading thoughts about peace, conflict, security, war and other related issues.
The course will be able to explain key concepts associated with peace and peace studies. It will
definitely build the students’ foundation knowledge as well as skills in this filed which could help
them to build critical thinking skills in this filed.
Students can evaluate the theoretical strengths and weakness associated with peace studies while
learning about this course.
Course textbooks/reading list:
Reading materials/lists will be given in the classes.
Course Requirements:
Mid-term Exam
As per academic guideline of the faculty a mid-term exam is scheduled for this course. Course
coordinator of the respective batch will fix the date of the exam and will bring it to your notice. Exam
questions will be drawn from major texts usually from the course readings provided with each
lectures. As prescribed by the semester guideline to get out of conventionality and to promote
students’ creative thinking, question format could be a blend mix of both short and long questions.
The exam is worth 20% of the total grade. Laptop, mobile device, notes and aids are not allowed in
the exam hall/room.
Assignment/Term paper
An assignment/term paper is due at the end of the semester, during the final week (exact date To Be
Announced). The topic of the paper must be drawn from the course readings and lectures. Submitted
assignment/term paper must be typed ranging approximately 2000-2500 words (excluding references),
1.5 spaced, and 11 -point Times New Roman. Paper must be typed within a page layout uniform in
each edge (prescribed 1” margin) with a portrait view. All academic rules of writing a paper with a
standard reference style should apply. Staple your essay in the upper left-hand corner. Don’t bind.
More information on the paper writing will be provided in class. The paper is worth 10% of the total
1
grade. Brief and concise response is encouraged, but matches your response according to the worth of
the response value. Your paper will be graded for the structure and quality of the content: clarity of
the research questions, logical consistency, ability to synthesize material and relevance of analysis.
Student Group Presentations
The class will be divided into six to eight groups. Each group will demonstrate within the scheduled
presentation weeks. Groups will prepare power point and handout and will be required to mail a soft
copy to course teacher prior to their demonstration in the class. Pass out summaries of your
presentations within an agreed time period. A dress code will apply for the presentation (will be fixed
in the class). The presentation topic will be drawn from the course readings subject to the approval of
the course teacher. In their presentations, groups must demonstrate their command on the assigned
material and will lead the ensued discussion. This exercise is worth 5% of the total grade.
Class Test
A class test will take place at the middle of the course schedule. Generally, it is scheduled in the 8 th
week after the class has stated. The exact date of class test will be announced in the class. After the
exam declared, the course teacher will select key articles or book chapters which students will collect
from available sources or repository at their own. Exam questions will be drawn from major texts
usually from the course readings provided with each lectures. However, the pattern of questions will
not be confirmed in the class. More information on the exam requirements will be provided in class.
The exam is worth 10% of the total grade.
Active Participation in the Class/Class attendance:
Students are expected to come with preparation for the class and make significant contribution in class
discussion. Your questions, comments, and analysis are a vital part of the learning experience. This
course will combine lectures with interactive discussions. However, quality of your contribution will
matter to rate your performance in the class. Class participation is worth 5%.
Marks Distribution/ Grading:
Course Final Exam=50, Midterm Exam =20%, Assignment/ Term Paper = 10%, class test=10%,
Student group presentations=5%, and Active participation in the class = 5%
Grading Scale:
Numerical grade
Letter grade
Grade points
80% to above
A+
4.0
75% to less than 80%
A
3.75
70% to less than 75%
A3.50
65% to less than 70%
B+
3.25
60% to less than 65%
B
3.00
55% to less than 60%
B2.75
50% to less than 55%
C+
2.50
45% to less than 50%
C
2.25
40% to less than 45%
D
2.00
Less than 40
F
Fail
Incomplete
00
Course Outlines:
Lecture 1: Introduction:
Overview of the syllabus and course expectations; discussion of the learning objectives of the course,
discussion of peace and conflict studies as a discipline and/or interdisciplinary area of study,
discussion of how this course maps onto the BSS (Hons) in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Lecture 02: Alternative concepts of Peace
Reading List:
1. Rummel, R.J. (1981) “Alternative concepts of peace”, (Ch.3) Understanding Conflict and
War. Vol.5. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
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Lecture 03: Alternative concepts of Peace
Reading List:
1. Rummel, R.J. (1981) “Alternative concepts of peace”, (Ch.3) Understanding Conflict and
War. Vol.5. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Lecture 04: Realist agenda for peace
Reading List:
1. Richmond, Oliver P. (2008). “A realist agenda for peace: survival and a victor’s peace”,
Peace in International Relations, New York: Routledge.
Optional reading list:
1. Jehangir, Hamza. “Realism, Liberalism and the Possibilities of Peace”, available at:
http://www.e-ir.info /2012/02/19/realism-liberalism-and-the-possibilities-o f-peace/
Lecture 05: Realist agenda for peace
Reading List:
1. Richmond, Oliver P. (2008). “A realist agenda for peace: survival and a victor’s peace”,
Peace in International Relations, New York: Routledge.
Lecture 6: Marxism and Peace
Reading List:
1. Richmond, Oliver P. (2008). “Marxist agendas for peace: towards peace as social justice and
Emancipation”, Peace in International Relations, New York: Routledge.
Optional reading list:
1. Kára, Karel. (1968). “On the Marxist Theory of War and Peace”, Journal of Peace Research,
5(1): 1-27.
Lecture 7: Marxism and Peace
Reading List:
1. Richmond, Oliver P. (2008). “Marxist agendas for peace: towards peace as social justice and
Emancipation”, Peace in International Relations, New York: Routledge.
Lecture 8: Structural theory of Imperialism
Reading List:
1. Galtung, Johan. (1971). “A structural theory of Imperialism”, Journal of Peace Research,
8(1): 81-117.
Lecture 9: Structural theory of Imperialism
Reading List:
1. Galtung, Johan. (1971). “A structural theory of Imperialism”, Journal of Peace Research,
8(1): 81-117.
Lecture 10: Perpetual peace
Reading list:
1. Willams, Howard. (1992) “Kant: the idea of perpetual peace” (Ch. 8), International Relations
in Political Theory, Buckingham: Open University Press.
2. Craeford, J.F. (1925) “Kant’s doctrines concerning perpetual peace”, The Monist, 35(2): 296314.
3. Immanuel Kant. (1975) “Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch”, available at:
http://www.beyondintractability.org/library/external-resource?biblio=9647
Lecture 11: Perpetual peace
Reading list:
1. Willams, Howard. (1992) “Kant: the idea of perpetual peace” (Ch. 8), International Relations
in Political Theory, Buckingham: Open University Press.
2. Craeford, J.F. (1925) “Kant’s doctrines concerning perpetual peace”, The Monist, 35(2): 296314.
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Immanuel Kant. (1975) “Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch”, available at:
http://www.beyondintractability.org/library/external-resource?biblio=9647
Lecture 12: Class Test
3.
Lecture 13: Grassroots approach to Peace
Reading list:
1. Alger, Chanwick F. (1994). “A Grassroots approach to life in peace”, Elias, Robert and
Turpin, Jannifer. Eds. Rethinking Peace, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Lecture 14: Grassroots approach to Peace
Reading list:
1. Alger, Chanwick F. (1994) “A Grassroots approach to life in peace”, Elias, Robert and
Turpin, Jannifer. Eds. Rethinking Peace, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Lecture 15: Mid Term
Lecture 16: Liberalism and democratic peace
Reading list:
1. Owen, John M. (1997). “How liberalism produces democratic peace”, Brown, Michael E.,
Lynn-Jones, Sean M., and Miller, Steven E. eds. Debating the Democratic Peace, Cambridge:
The MIT Press.
Lecture 17: Democratic Peace theory
Reading list:
1. Russet, Bruce. (1997). “Why democratic peace?”, Brown, Michael E., Lynn-Jones, Sean M.,
and Miller, Steven E. eds. Debating the Democratic Peace, Cambridge: The MIT Press.
2. Russet, Bruce. (1997). “The fact of democratic peace?”, Brown, Michael E., Lynn-Jones,
Sean M., and Miller, Steven E. eds. Debating the Democratic Peace, Cambridge: The MIT
Press.
3. Placek, Kevin. (2012) “The Democratic Peace Theory”, available at: http://www.eir.info/2012/02/18/the-democratic-peace-theory/
Lecture 18: Democratic peace theory
1. Bingham, James. (2012) “How Accurate is Democratic Peace Theory?” available at:
http://www.e-ir.info/2012/06/01/how-accurate-is-democratic-peace-theory/
2. Russet, Bruce. (1997). “Why democratic peace?”, Brown, Michael E., Lynn-Jones, Sean M.,
and Miller, Steven E. eds. Debating the Democratic Peace, Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Lecture 19: Peace and development
Reading list:
1. Bernett, Jon. (2008) “Peace and development: Towards a new synthesis”, Journal of Peace
Research, 45(1): 75-89.
Lecture 20: Peace and development
Reading list:
1. Bernett, Jon. (2008) “Peace and development: Towards a new synthesis”, Journal of Peace
Research, 45(1): 75-89.
Lecture 21: Non violent approaches to peace
Reading list:
1. Ambler, Rex. (1990) “Gandhian Peacemaking”, Smoker, Paul, Davies, Ruth, and Barbara
Munske. eds. A Reader in Peace Studies, New York: Pergamon Press.
2. Bose, Anima (1981) “A Gandhian Perspective on Peace”, Journal of Peace Research,
18(2): 159-164
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Lecture 22: Non violence and peace
Reading list:
1. Ambler, Rex. (1990) “Gandhian Peacemaking”, Smoker, Paul, Ruth Davies and Barbara
Munske. eds. A Reader in Peace Studies, New York: Pergamon Press.
Lecture 23: Non violence and peace
Reading list:
1. Johansen, Jørgen(2007). “Nonviolence: more than the absence of violence” Webel,
Charles and Galtung, Johan. eds. Handbook of Peace and Conflict Studies, New York:
Routedge.
Optional reading list:
1. II Mayton, Daniel M. (2001) Gandhi as peacebuider: “The social psychology of Satyagraha”,
Christie, Daniel J., Wagner, Richard V., and Winter, Deborah Du Nann. Eds. Peace, Conflict
and Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21st Century, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Lecture 24: Peace building
Reading list:
1. Barnett, Michael, Kim, Hunjoon, O'Donnell, Madalene
and Sitea, Laura (2007)
“Peacebuilding: What is in a name?”, Global Governance, 13 (1): 35-58
Lecture 25: Peacebuilding and Human security
Reading list:
1. Morgan-Conteh, Earl. (2005) “Peacebuilding and human security: A constructive
perspective”, International Journal of Peace Studies, 10(1): 69-86.
Lecture 26: Peacebuilding and Human security
Reading list:
1. Morgan-Conteh, Earl. (2005) “Peacebuilding and human security: A constructive
perspective”, International Journal of Peace Studies, 10(1): 69-86.
Lecture 27: Feminism and Peace
Reading list:
1. Heywood, Andrew. 4th ed. (2007) “Feminism”, Political Ideologies, New York:
Palgrave macmillan
2. Brock-utne, Birgit. (1990) “Feminist perspective on peace”, Smoker, Paul, Ruth Davies
and Barbara Munske. eds. A Reader in Peace Studies, New York: Pergamon Press.
Lecture 28: Feminism and Peace
Reading list:
1. Heywood, Andrew. 4th ed. (2007) “Feminism”, Political Ideologies, New York:
Palgrave macmillan
2. Brock-utne, Birgit. (1990) “Feminist perspective on peace”, Smoker, Paul, Ruth Davies
and Barbara Munske. eds. A Reader in Peace Studies, New York: Pergamon Press.
Lecture 29: Understanding war
Reading list:
1. Jeong, Ho-Won (2000) “Understanding War”, Peace and Conflict Studies: An
Introduction, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
2. Mingst, Karen. (1999) “War and State” (Ch. 1), Essentials of International Relations,
New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
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Lecture 30: Group Presentation (Group 1, 2, 3)
Lecture 31: Group Presentation (Group 4, 5, 6)
Lecture 32: Group Presentation (Group 7, 8, 9)
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