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79422-01 - Seminar: Conflict Systems and Networks in International Politics (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Julián Arévalo (julian.arevalo@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This course examines violent conflict as a complex system of interconnected actors, where outcomes emerge from patterns of relationships rather than isolated decisions. Building on network theory and research on transnational conflict linkages, it analyzes how ties among rebel groups, states, and external actors shape conflict dynamics. The course integrates insights on rebel fragmentation and alliance formation with recent network perspectives on conflict internationalization. Students will explore how network structures influence diffusion, cooperation, and escalation across borders. Overall, the course provides analytical tools to understand conflict as an evolving, multi-level network embedded in global political systems. |
| Learning objectives | 1. Analyze violent conflict as a complex system by examining how networks of state and non-state actors shape conflict dynamics across local, regional, and international levels. 2. Apply concepts and methods from network theory to understand patterns of cooperation, fragmentation, diffusion, and escalation in civil and internationalized conflicts. 3. Evaluate how relationships among rebel groups, governments, and external actors influence alliance formation, intervention strategies, and the evolution of conflict systems. 4. Critically assess contemporary research on transnational conflict linkages and conflict internationalization, using network-based perspectives to interpret empirical cases and theoretical debates. |
| Bibliography | Balcells, Laia, Chong Chen, and Costantino Pischedda. 2022. “Do Birds of a Feather Flock Together? Rebel Constituencies and Civil War Alliances.” International Studies Quarterly 66 (1): sqab095. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab095. Gleditsch, Kristian Skrede. 2007. “Transnational Dimensions of Civil War.” Journal of Peace Research 44 (3): 293–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343307076637. Hannigan, Colin. 2019. “Toward a Holistic Networks Approach to Strategic Third-Party Intervention: A Literature Review.” International Area Studies Review 22 (3): 277–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/2233865919833972. Jackson, Matthew O. 2010. Social and Economic Networks. Illustrated edition. Princeton University Press. Metternich, Nils W., Cassy Dorff, Max Gallop, Simon Weschle, and Michael D. Ward. 2013. “Antigovernment Networks in Civil Conflicts: How Network Structures Affect Conflictual Behavior.” American Journal of Political Science 57 (4): 892–911. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12039. Schissler, Frederik, Hanna Pfeifer, Constantin Ruhe, Regine Schwab, and Jonas Wolff. 2026. “The Internationalization of Intrastate Conflict: A Network Perspective on Empirical Evidence and Theoretical Explanations.” Cooperation and Conflict, April 1, 00108367251413148. https://doi.org/10.1177/00108367251413148. |
| Comments | All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. The number of participants will be limited. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science. |
| Admission requirements | All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. The number of participants will be limited. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 16.15-17.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
Dates
| Modules |
Module: Conflicts and Peacebuilding (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources (Start of studies before 01.08.2026)) Module: Extension Social Sciences (Master's degree subject: Political Science – Inequality, Power, Conflict) Module: Inequality, Power, Conflict (Master's degree subject: Political Science – Inequality, Power, Conflict) Module: Sustainable Societies: Inequality, Power, Conflict (Master's degree program: Changing Societies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | • Each student or group of students will co-lead with the instructor the discussion of one of the sessions, which includes reading the article(s) for the class, preparing and delivering an oral presentation. • Each student or group of students will work on a project in which they apply the concepts studied in the course for a conflict of their interest. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |