BSS191 Contemporary Armed Conflicts

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2015
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Tomáš Šmíd, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tomáš Bělonožník (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Iveta Hlouchová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Jan Hort (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D.
Division of Security and Strategic Studies – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Security and Strategic Studies – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 9:45–11:15 P31 Posluchárna A. I. Bláhy
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 14 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course aims to introduce the most important contemporary armed conflicts, which have blown out after the end of the Cold War that mirror the changes in the character of armed conflicts, show the signs of assymetric threats or differ from the classic conception of war.
Syllabus
  • 1) Opening lecture – 23. 2. 2) Discussion forum on conflict in Afghanistan - 2.3. 3) Introduction to the topic of collective violence - 9.3. 4) Resources and armed conflict – 16.3. 5) Mexico´s drug conflict – foreign guest - 23.3. 6) Asymmetric conflicts - 30.3. 7) Consequences of conflict in Kosovo for international security - 6.4. 8) Conflict diamonds in Angola – 13. 4. 9) Armies and authoritarian regimes – Iranian armed forces - 20.4. 10) Oiled conflicts in Persian Gulf - 27.4. 11) Cyber warfare - 4. 5. 12) Reading week - 11.5. 13) Latent racial conflict in the U.S. – 18. 5.
Literature
  • ŠMÍD, Tomáš. Etnické konflikty v postkomunistickém prostoru (Ethnic conflicts in Post-Communist Area). In VAĎURA, Vladimír. Etnické konflikty v postkomunistickém prostoru. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, 2007, 278 pp. ISBN 978-80-7325-126-0. info
  • ZÜRCHER, Christoph. The post-Soviet wars : rebellion, ethnic conflict, and nationhood in the Caucasus. New York: New York University Press, 2007, xii, 289. ISBN 9780814797099. info
  • State failure and state weakness in a time of terror. Edited by Robert I. Rotberg. Cambridge: World Peace Foundation, 2003, viii, 354. ISBN 0815775733. info
Teaching methods
lecture
Assessment methods
The student is obliged to come to the written exam and eventually to the mid-term test. The final mark will be counted from the total sum of the maximum possible amount points of both tests. The mid-term test consists of 2 questions per 10 points. The written exam consists of 10 questions per 4 points. Thus the maximum is 60 points, the minimum for passing the exam is 36 points.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2015/BSS191