POLS 080. Civil Wars (IR)

Civil war is the dominant form of political violence in the contemporary world. Since the Second World War, most conflict has been focused within rather than between states (i.e., civil war). Drawing on a thriving and diverse area of scholarship in political science, this course explores the causes, dynamics and consequences of civil wars, as well as regional and international interventions and post-conflict legacies. Among the central questions we will examine are: What are the individual, group and state level factors that may cause civil wars to break out? What are the gendered dimensions of civil war and civilian agency? Why are some civil wars longer and more severe than others? How are civilians, households and communities impacted by civil war and how do they cope? How do civil wars end and what can local, regional and international actors do to facilitate their termination? To explore these and other questions, students will be introduced to key concepts, theories and a variety of research approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, and interpretive methods as well as micro- and macro-level analysis. Contemporary and historical cases we will examine include: Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria, Rwanda and Yugoslavia.
Political sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for GLBL- core; GSST, PEAC
Fall 2025. Paddon Rhoads.
Catalog chapter: Political Science
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/political-science

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