M.A. in Conflict Studies

Theoretical concepts to understand the dynamics of religious and ethnic conflicts. Application of these concepts to particular situations. Religion, ethnicity, gender, class, and other identity signifiers. Human identity needs, mimetic theory, and structures of domination. Ethno-nationalist movements and victimization.

Critical evaluation of research findings in the human sciences. Qualitative and quantitative methods of gathering, validating, and interpreting evidence. Issues in research ethics. Applications in graduate research projects and theses.

Conflict resolution approaches and institutions created over time in different regions of the world. Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms. State and law. Democratic institutions. Third party involvement and promotion of peace.

Violence and trauma in the context of identity-based conflicts. Emotional, spiritual, physical and cognitive dimensions of the human person. Reconciliation, forgiveness and trauma healing.

Degeneration of conflicts into unforgettable and unforgivable atrocities. Causes, mechanisms, attitudes leading to extreme mass violence. Role of faith in healing memories. Case study of genocides in Germany, South Africa, Rwanda and among indigenous peoples in North and South America.

Influence of development and allocation of economic resources on political conflict, including ethnic and religious strife. Influence of globalization on the propensity of societies toward violence.

National and international policies and programs designed to eliminate the causes of violent conflict and prevent their re-emergence. Dialogue and reconciliation. Political and economic reforms. Local development and empowerment.

Theoretical and empirical aspects of strategies and processes of mediation and negotiation. Critical examination of contemporary approaches to mediation and negotiation. Cases of successful or unsuccessful negotiations. Roles, capacities and motivations of parties.

Conflict analysis applied to the elaboration of intervention strategies. Evaluation of projects and programs in conflict resolution. Case studies. Ethical questions related to the planning and evaluation of conflict resolution interventions.

Using psychological theories of the development of consciousness, this course explores how leaders can adapt to complex environments. An integral approach is used to develop a methodology to systematically reflect on practical challenges in order to refine intentions, strategies and actions.

The Comprehensive Approach, within international and domestic security environments, enables the student to better understand the capabilities and constraints of a variety of institutions within today’s operational environments.
Competencies are enhanced in achieving greater integration of effort among personnel and their organizations as more lasting solutions are generated to the complex challenges of international missions.

Both conflict and peacebuilding take place within complex adaptive systems with many variables. This course explores the characteristics of chaos, complexity and emerging creativity theories and how they assist in understanding the multi-dimensional dynamics of peacebuilding.

Cultural competency is needed to be effective within host communities. Students will learn to identify dynamics of tensions between religious, national, economic, and ideological components of conflicts; to analyze reasons for various kinds of exclusivist and intolerant attitudes and to integrate the religious component into peacebuilding, development initiatives, and whole-of-government programming.

The challenge of peacebuilding is situated in the context of historically driven, deep-rooted conflicts between identity- groups. Students will learn to use theoretical frameworks to analyze conflict and advance reconciliation. The dialectical relationship between peacebuilding and social and political reconciliation will be explored, emphasizing trust-building, structural change, symbolic conciliatory gestures, and socio-emotional transformation.

Study of theoretical models of conflict drawn from the social and behavioural sciences. Applications to the analysis of different types of conflict.

Conceptual and procedural ethical issues concerning norms of social justice and reconciliation. Relation of ethical issues to self-other dialectics, dynamics of discourse and power, gender and class, memory and agency.

Implication of religious identities, traditions and actors in escalating, diverting or transforming deep-rooted conflicts in different societies. Comparative multi-religious framework. Sociology of religion and contextual theological hermeneutics.

Impact of conflict on spirituality and of spirituality on conflict. Part played in conflict by the spiritual life and convictions of those involved.

Multidisciplinary examination of cases of domination and marginalization. Social and cultural constructions of gender. Role of these constructs in structures of domination. Challenges met in transforming these structures.

Implication of indigenous identities in the emergence and transformation of conflicts. Ethnic and religious dimensions of indigenous cultural resurgence in Canada and other national contexts. Conflict reduction and pluralistic coexistence.

Internship of 150 hours in Conflict analysis and/or resolution, involving advanced and sustained research and analysis work. The internship is supervised and the work evaluated by a professor member of the program. Graded S/NS.

Prerequisites: Completion of 9 credits in the MA program with an average of at least B+. Approval of the internship proposal by the program director.