Course Catalogue

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This course examines prejudice, hostility and violence between ethnic groups. It explores both the causes of such intergroup conflict as well as potential avenues for intergroup reconciliation.

This course may not be running this year. For further information please check the Politics Moodle page or contact the subject directly.

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Entry to Honours Politics requires a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over Politics 2A and Politics 2B as a first attempt.

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■ One written essay, of 2,500 words, worth 50% of the total course grade. Students will apply theories from the course to explain a case of intergroup conflict or reconciliation.

■ One examination, of 90 minutes' duration, worth 50% of the total course grade. Students will write essays in response to two (of six provided) questions.

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below.

This course aims to introduce to students theories explaining why hostility and violence occurs between ethnic groups, and how groups can be reconciled. The course further aims to offer students an opportunity to apply these theories to historical or contemporary examples of intergroup conflict or reconciliation.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ describe and evaluate the concepts of ethnic group, identity, prejudice, intergroup conflict and reconciliation

■ describe one or more historical or contemporary examples of intergroup conflict and/or reconciliation in some detail

■ critically evaluate both quantitative and qualitative research on intergroup conflict and reconciliation

■ explain the major theories of intergroup conflict and reconciliation

■ explain historical or contemporary cases of conflict and reconciliation by applying theories of intergroup conflict and reconciliation

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.