Seminar- Psychology and Political Conflict
Seminar: Political Psychology of Conflicts and their Resolutions
Dr. Rony Berger
What causes conflicts such as those in Bosnia, Rwanda, North Ireland Ukraine and the Middle East to erupt? How come people who live harmoniously for years, can one day commit heinous acts of barbaric violence against their neighbors? Why did 9/11 happen? Could Al Qaida survive without Bin Laden? Why so many European Moslems are joining the notorious Islamic State of Iraq and Syria- ISIS) organization? Is for Donald Trump likely to foster conflictual relationship with other countries?
These are some of the questions we will be grappling with in this seminar which combines political and social psychology perspectives regarding conflicts and their resolutions. The premise of this seminar is that understanding the psychological causes of political conflicts is essential if we are to affect patterns of behaviors that are harmful for humanity and promote patterns of behavior beneficial for humanity.
We will start by introducing the major concepts and theories of political psychology focusing on the role of personality, cognition, emotions, social identity, attitudes and intergroup relationships in the political arena. Thereafter, the seminar will be divided into two parts. The first part will focus on the underlying reasons for political conflicts with particular emphasis on violent conflicts. The second part will focus on theories and practices to resolve conflicts including understanding barriers and strategies for conflict resolution as well as issues regarding reconciliation and peace-building efforts. The seminar will not only introduce the students to theoretical and conceptual dilemmas in the field but will also attempt to address real life current political conflicts. The seminar
will be comprised of didactic lectures, class discussions, and most importantly, analysis of case-studies regarding past of current political conflicts. Each student will be required to present a topic from the textbook or other readings and to be responsible for facilitating a discussion or an experiential exercise regarding the topic.
Course Requirements
Attendance and participation 20% of the grade
Class Presentation
Referat (8-13 pages or a final seminar paper (18-25 pages). 80% of the grade
