MA Course

Theories of Conflict

An master's-level course offered by Saint Paul University on the basics of peacebuilding theory.
Researchers and practitioners have tried for decades to understand what motivates and drives conflict.
In this twelve-week class, the instructor (anonymous) explores the history and content of influential theories in the fields of peacebuilding and conflict studies. These were developed in the humanities and social sciences and draw on political science, anthropology, sociology, philosophy and economics.

The main takeaway is that conflict doesn't come out of nowhere. It's the result not only of political, but also of social, cultural, economic and other factors that are often ingrained into societies where violence or conflict come from. Influential theorists of conflict are the ones who tried to find frameworks that attempt to explain or predict when/why this happens.

Note that the content comes from a more progressive point of view. Not all readers will agree with the presuppositions and values discussed here. The authors and ideas discussed can be broadly thought of as progressive and left-of-center. The main takeaway is that peace requires focusing not only on what happens, but on the social systems and structures that are thought to produce and reproduce violence on different levels.

Each page was written using notes from each lecture. Additional readings are found at the bottom of each entry. Currently, only the first three lectures are available, hopefully with more to come soon.

Available Content

Coming Eventually:
1
Conflict Transformation
2
Structural Approaches to Peace and Conflict
3
Justice and Law
4
Human Rights
5
Environmental Issues and Peace
6
Gender, Women and War
7
Protracted and Asymmetrical Conflicts
8
Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Transitional Justice
9
Civil Society
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Josh Nadeau is a freelance writer and dialogue practitioner.
He studied theories of conflict at St. Paul University in 2021.
Banner photo by Jay Galvin on flickr