Nov 22, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25

POLS 4490 - Nationalism/Ethnic Conflict


Examines the causes and consequences of nationalism and ethnic conflict. Considers the nature of state boundaries and the political contention that can lead to violence based on national and cultural identities. Explores the means to resolve or prevent such conflicts and applies them through experiential learning activities.

Requisites: POLS 1500 or POLS 2300 or POLS 2500 or permission required
Credit Hours: 3
OHIO BRICKS: Bridge: Learning and Doing, Capstone: Capstone or Culminating Experience
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will be able to analyze and assess competing arguments about and define key terms and concepts relating to the causes and prevention of nationalist and ethnic conflict.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of audience in political science writing and be able to adopt effective strategies for communicating in diverse rhetorical situations.
  • Students will be able to design, plan, and deliver a written project that is organized coherently and logically and that employs relevant evidence and examples.
  • Students will be able to summarize and critique academic and/or professional literature on selected research topics, and apply appropriate theories, methodologies, and/or evidence to a research topic.
  • Students will be able to develop papers, reports, or presentations that describe the findings and conclusions from research for presentation to professional or academic audiences.
  • Students will be able to identify and connect across political science and related disciplines the causes of ethnic conflict, and describe the perspectives of policymakers, interest groups, and citizens in post-conflict societies.
  • Students will be able to connect academic knowledge about the causes of ethnic conflict and varieties of post-conflict institutional arrangements to real post-conflict scenarios.
  • Students will be able to adapt and apply theories about the causes of ethnic and nationalism conflict and post-conflict institutional formation to real-world post-conflict scenarios.
  • Students will be able to state a specific position on appropriate and reasonable policy recommendations to address the complexities of real-world cases of ethnic conflict, and communicate those recommendations in a written format.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate a developing sense of self as a learner by reflecting on and building on prior experience in order to respond to new and challenging real-world ethnic conflict scenarios.


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