SOC 327: ETHNIC CONFLICT
Syllabus
COLGATE UNIVERSITY
MW 1-2:20 Alumni 109
FALL 1999
Professor Thomas Hall
Last updated 8-31-99
417 Alumni Hall, x7545, email:thall; web: people.colgate.edu/thall
Office Hours: MWF 11:30 -12N; MW 2:30-3:30 & by appt.

Last Updated 9-5-99

COURSE GOALS:
Recent bombings in Irelad, "ethnic cleansing" in the former Yugoslavia, the Los Angeles riots (1992 & 1960s), various conflics in former Soviet Central Asia Republics, the Middle East, and Rwanda make it all too clear that racial and ethnic conflicts are global problems. This course will begin to examine some these conflicts and the explanations for them. This course is part of both the Sociology major and Conflict Studies major. It began as a senior seminar offered in Spring of 1995. The students who took that course were enthusiastic, and helped design this 300 level course. That course led to a conference paper co-authored by myself and two students, and a review essay on our four main texts, that was published in 1996--and which will be on reserve for you to read.

What follows is still in development, as will be obvious when you see all the blank space on the schedule for the semester. What I want to preserve from the senior seminar, and what the students found very exciting, is "doing sociology" as opposed to studying about it. Those of you who know me will not be surprised by the long term, global approach I take toward the subject matter. I look at everything through macrosociological lenses. The point of this approach--besides the obvious point that it is what fascinates me, and what I have fun doing--is to locate the present day, and potential futures in a sociologically grounded study of historical processes.

SPECIFIC GOALS: This course will address the differences, origins, "life-cycle," and factors promoting and/or attenuating ethnic conflict. Each student will be required to identify, study, and summarize one instance of ethnic conflict. From our first readings, by McNeill we will see that ethnic conflicts have been around since what McNeill calls "civilization," or what I call agrarian states, have existed, for some 5,000 years. Furthermore, conflicts can be sorted into two broad categories:

1) those between different states;

2) those between states and nonstate societies, what McNeill calls "barbarians" McNeill also notes, along with many others, that new kinds of state began to appear, first in western Europe, then elsewhere about 500 years ago--the so-called modern world--the one in which we all live. These two large divisions yield four general settings for ethnic conflicts:

• I. > 1500 CE, state-state or state and minority group
• II. > 1500 CE, state-indigenous group
• III. < 1500 CE, state-state or state and minority group
• IV. < 1500 CE, state-indigenous group

Examples:

• [1] French vs English Speakers in Canada; Catholics vs Protestants in Ireland
• [2] United States vs American Indians; Burma/Myanmar vs Hill Tribes
• [3] Christians vs Moslems, e.g. Crusades; Burmese vs Siamese (12th-18thc)
• [4] Romans vs Germanic Tribes; Aztecs vs "Chichimecas"

I would like for the class to be sure to sample from all 4 types of ethnic conflict, so there will be some restrictions on choice to insure diversity of cases. Why require such diversity in case studyies? So that we can use the various case studies to work toward building an theory, that is, an explanation of why ethnic conflict occurs, and how the types and intensities of conflict change in different settings. This may seem abstract, or overwhelming, or confusing, or even all three right now. Relax! These concepts will become clear as we go through the readings.

Some of the topics to be discussed:

• 1. What is ethnic conflict? What are the various manifestations of ethnic conflict?
• 2. How does this relate to war? How, if at all, is ethnic conflict different from war? Are those differences the same in modern & premodern eras? Are imperialist expansions and colonizing wars, primarily wars, or a special form of ethnic conflict?
• 3. Are certain zones or regions especially prone to ethnic conflict? Are "frontiers" such zones? Are certain zones or region especially immune to ethnic conflict?
• 4. Is genocide a limiting form of ethnic conflict? How does "cultural genocide" relate to ethnic conflict?
• 5. What kinds of inter-ethnic contact promote conflict? What kinds of inter-ethnic contact do not promote conflict?
• 6. Does violent contact lead to the formation of new ethnic identities? Under what circumstance?

COURSE STRUCTURE: The course will be organized in four parts:

PART I: READINGS:
In this section we will go through the texts in the order listed below. For some classes a few students will be responsible for summarizing the reading, commenting on it, and asking questions [on Gurr & Harff, Perry, Ferguson & Whitehead, Wilmer]. A separate posting on How to present readings to the class will provide guidance for doing this. Other times I will present mini-lectures on relevant topics and lead discussions. During this phase we will have some combination of short written assignments and/or quizzes.

The point of this part is to gain perspective, develop concepts, theories, and methods for studying ethnic conflict. While we are doing the readings you should decide:

• (1) which type of ethnic conflict you would like to study [by Sept. 27]
• (2) the specific case you want to study [by Oct. 6].

THE BOOKS:

• McNeill, William H. 1986. Polyethnicity and National Unity in World History.
• Gurr, Ted R. & Barbara Harff. 1994. Ethnic Conflict in World Politics.
• Perry, Richard J. 1996. From Time Immemorial: Indigenous Peoples and State Systems.
• Wilmer, Franke. 1993. The Indigenous Voice in World Politics.
• Laczko, Leslie S. 1996. Pluralism and Inequality in Quebec.

All books are in the bookstore. The review essay on reserve describes Gurr &: Harff, Wilmer, Ferguson & Whitehead, and mentions McNeil. Laczko draft examines ethnic conflict in Canada, and is useful for insights into how to study linguistic conflict in other settings, such as the English-only movement in the United States. All the texts are, or will be, on reserve at Case Library & in the Sociology reading room on the 4th floor of Alumni Hall.. I have put a number of other items on reserve.

PART II: DOING RESEARCH:
In practice, this will overlap with Part I. Here the focus will be on how to study ethnic conflict. Gurr & Harff have several valuable suggestions, along with several case studies. We will schedule a session sometime in September on how to use the tools in Roy O. West to study ethnic conflict. We will also spend part of some classes talking about how the research is going. You should always read with an eye to what this reading tells you, or what questions it raises about your case, and the converse: what your case study says about the reading.

PART III: PRESENTATIONS:
Starting about the week before Thanksgiving Break sstudent will give a presentation on her/his findings. I will give you instructions on how to do this later: How to present case studies to the class. Obviously, those who go early, will not be as far along as those who go later. For the two (or three) "bravehearts" who present the week before Thanksgiving, there will be a small point bonus.

PART IV: SYNTHESIZING FINDINGS:
This will take place in two phases. The first time, on Nov. 22 coinciding with the first student presentation. The second time will be during the last week of the semester. We will use class sessions to brainstorm on all the cases, trying to develop our own theory of ethnic conflict. During this time you will use the feedback from your presentation to prepare a final version of your case study, including a section on what we learn about ethnic conflict from your study. We will also take some class time during the last week to evaluate the course and make suggestions for improving its structure and readings. OPTIONAL DRAFTS: You will have the option of turning in a draft of your paper shortly after presentation [the deadlines will follow the order of presentations]. I will read those drafts and give you a provisional grade and instructions how to improve the paper. In order to have time to read them and get comments back to you so you can make your final revisions these must be turned in on time. If you are satisfied with the grade on the draft, you need not revise.

Final drafts will be due at the scheduled final exam time.

Because of the size of this class, these will be group projects.  We will organize groups in the first couple of weeks.  There will be separate posting on group work later.

GRADING: GRADES ON WRITTEN WORK:
Letter grades are worth the following points. A + or - will add or subtract as much as 4 points from this value:

• C (75 points): A performance that "sort of" meets the formal requirements of the assignment. Some stuff is there, other stuff wrong or missing.
• B (85 points): A performance that adequately summarizes what the readings and lectures presented.
• A (95 points): A performance that goes beyond a "B" by adding some new insight, and that clearly demonstrates that you have thought carefully about the material.

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION:
I reserve the right to lower grades for poor attendance and/or late papers. The ONLY "excused" absences are for university business when I am notified in advance IN WRITING OR BY EMAIL--from you.

This will be a "participation course," that is, you need to participate to be part of it. Discussions are only as good as you make them, the same for presentations on the readings and on your research.

Because of the way this course is organized, I am not grading on specific number of points, but rather will weigh activities in the following proportions [this is provisional, and subject to revision]:

• PARTICIPATION & ATTENDANCE:    10%
• Presentations on Readings;                         10-20%
• WRITTEN WORK/QUIZZES:                   10-20%
• CASE STUDY:                                          60% Total
• Presentation                  20%
• Comments on others     10%
• Final Paper                    30%

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PROF. Hall:  I urge all of you to use email for minor communications. That is the best way to communicate with me. Do not phone to tell me you are going to be absent. Similarly, do not "mention" it to me just before or after class. Write it down! (or send email).  For extended discussions, such as working on case studies, or understanding complex issue in class, come to office hours, or make an alternative appointment.

WHY USE EMAIL or WRITING? Although you have only 4 profs a semester, I have 60-90 students. Furthermore, if I get interrumpted (as often happens) before I get to my office the message does not get recorded. If something is written (email=written for me), I have a record, AND you have a record. Email is especially good, because even if I am away, often I can still answer questions. Suppose you are working on a paper or have a question at 2 am. If you call me at 2am, to quote George Bush, "you're in deep doodoo!" However, if you leave email I can send you an answer when I deal with email at 6am, and you can read it when you get up!

EXPECTATIONS:  Professor Hall's Expectations for Students and himself.

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at thall@mail.colgate.edu