Syllabus

Short Course Description

Conflicts between groups, whether national, ethnic, religious or political, are an inseparable part of human history and of our current reality. They rage over contradictory goals and interests in different domains, and they are real. But since human beings are the ones who initiate them, take part in them, and try to resolve them, the psychological and social aspects of conflicts have to be studied as well in order to comprehend how they erupt, why they persist, and how they can be transformed. This course introduces students to central socio-psychological approaches to the study of intergroup conflicts. For each one of the topics that will be addressed in the course, we will present the general theoretical framework for explaining and understanding it, examine relevant empirical studies, and apply it to conflicts from around the world through class discussions. In the first part of the course, we will discuss the psychological sources of conflicts, stereotypes and prejudice, social identity, emotions, and leadership. In the second part, students will lead sessions on topics of their choice, in which they will present the topic and facilitate an in-class analysis of a current conflict through its lens. The course will conclude with reconciliation and intergroup contact as pathways for the peaceful transformation of conflicts. By the end of the course, students will be able to explain key socio-psychological concepts and theories related to the eruption, persistence and resolution of conflicts, critically evaluate empirical research in the field, and apply these concepts to analyze real-world conflicts.