Description
the professor instructed:
Chose one conflict from
the UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset version 21.1
(
1. Pick a 2020 conflict from the UCDP dataset (see above). Look at the
variable/column “conflict_ID” to see if it also was ongoing in earlier years.
Some conflicts have multiple rows since they lasted multiple years. Each row
is a conflict-year. You will need to scroll down pretty far to get to conflicts in
2020. For example, conflict 13604 is the Syrian civil war involving the Islamist
State, which has data from 2015-2020. (The initiation is probably before 2020.
You are discussing the whole conflict, not only what happened in 2020.)
2. Pick a framework to explain conflict initiation, continuation, or other dynamics.
Regardless of framework, you should look at readings from the week on that
topic – including recommended readings – and cite relevant work
Paper format
a. Brief introductory paragraph telling us what the rest of the assignment
contains. In the first paragraph of the paper, indicate
i. The theoretical framework you will use
ii. the specific conflict (including its number in the data,
“conflict_id”) and the years of the conflict
b. Describe the framework, as discussed in lecture, class, and readings.
Be explicit to demonstrate your understanding of the material. This is
important.
c. Give a brief background on the conflict: When and why did it start?
Who are the main actors? What are its attributes that we might have
discussed before – is it a war or a lower-level conflict; what is the
incompatibility?
d. Then discuss how the framework explains or does not explain conflict
dynamics. What did the framework explain well? What did it not explain
well? Do any other frameworks do better? Feel free to discuss content
from other topics of this module, referring to relevant readings, but you should mostly focus on the
one chosen topic for depth.
e. A brief conclusion summarizing to what extent the framework(s) helps
us understand the conflict. This can be one paragraph.
