Justice, Equality and Political Transformation in Conflict Societies (PS , G3)

Transcription

1 Justice, Equality and Political Transformation in Conflict Societies (PS , G3) SS 2008: , and Th 20:15-22:00, NIG 2nd floor; Fr and :30-22:00, NIG 2 nd floor Mag. Bert Preiss Office Hour: Thursdays 18:30 19:30, LektorInnenzimmer (A0226), NIG 2 nd floor herbert.preiss@univie.ac.at Website: Objective The primary objective of this course is to examine the main approaches of justice and equality with regard to their applicability and contribution to the explanation and resolution of conflicts in divided societies. Students will be introduced to various theoretical perspectives which will then be examined through a number of case studies. The focus of the analyses will be on the development and dynamics of conflict, including the significance of specific events and the role of the internal and external key players, and on the comparison and evaluation of the perspectives for a just and stable conflict settlement. Through informed engagement with various conceptions of justice and equality and with selected conflict case studies, the students will be encouraged to develop their own critical perspective on the study of the perspectives of justice in conflict societies. Rationale The course focuses on the conceptions of justice and equality prevalent in both the political systems of the conflict societies and in the mind of their population. The main objective is to trace the historical development of the conditions and actual meanings of justice and equality in divided societies and to explore their transformative capacity for conflict resolution. This will include a strong comparative dimension in that three case studies Northern Ireland, the Basque Country and the Kosovo will be analyzed and discussed. The course will first outline the main theoretical approaches of justice and equality which will serve as the basis for the analysis of the conflicts in question. It will then identify and discuss the main issues at stake, the key players and the main opponents. The aim is to reveal the underlying mechanisms and processes at work with regard to justice and equality in each of the particular conflict settings both at micro- and macro-level and to attempt to draw generalizable conclusions for conflict management and/or resolution. The questions tackled in this course will include: How important are normative theories of justice and equality for the analysis of conflicts in divided societies? What is their potential for conflict resolution? How do the issues of national identity, class, and social/material deprivation feature in each conflict situation. How do these issues interact and/or reinforce each other? Structure The course has a normative and applied theory, a historical and a comparative dimension and consists of three main sections. BP 1 (9) 11/03/2008

2 The first section of the course examines the main theories of justice and equality, their relevance and place in conflict analyses and outlines the general theoretical framework for the study of conflict in divided societies. The second section presents the three case studies dealt with in the course: Northern Ireland, the Basque Country and the Kosovo. It will provide a contextualisation for each conflict, an overview of the different conflict interpretations and potential resolutions, and discuss the place and role of the issues of justice and equality in each of these divided societies. The third and final section of the course will compare the role and place of justice and equality in the three conflict societies reviewed and attempt to draw generalisable conclusions with regard to their meaning and relevance (amongst other factors) in conflict and thus their potential for confict resolution. The course schedule is presented in the table below: Unit Date/Time Topics Details 1 13/03/08 20:15-22: /04/08 20:15-22:00 General Overview/ Introduction Theories of Justice Overview Course outline, content, modus operandi, requirements, assignment of working groups/presentations and discussants, (essay topics) Key questions: What is Justice? ; Various definitions of justice ; main theoretical approaches and main issues Comparison of these definitions and approaches general definitions and approaches or context-specific? Can there be a general definition of justice? 3 10/04/08 20:15-22:00 Perspectives on Equality Key questions: What is Equality? ; Various definitions of equality; main theoretical approaches and main issues Comparison of these definitions and approaches general definitions and approaches or context-specific? Can there be a general definition of equality? 4 17/04/08 20:15-22:00 Justice and Equality in Conflict analyses Key questions: How do the issues of justice and equality feature in the literature on conflict analysis? Main issues dealt with in conflict analyses (e.g. ethnicity, national identity, territory) and those rather neglected (e.g. class, hegemony) 5 16/05/08 18:30 20:00 Northern Ireland I Key historical landmarks (political/socio-economic/community relations development) Key players, main opponents Main identified causes of conflict BP 2 (9) 11/03/2008

3 6 16/05/ /06/08 18:30 20:00 Northern Ireland II: Movie Bloody Sunday Northern Ireland III Introduction to the movie, guideline for analysis and discussion Main conflict interpretations and potential resolutions place/role of issues of justice and equality in approaches of this conflict 8 06/06/08 The Basque Country Key historical landmarks, Key players, main opponents Main identified causes of conflict, main conflict interpretations and potential resolutions Place/role of issues of justice and equality in approaches of this conflict 9 12/06/08 Kosovo I Key historical landmarks (political/socio-economic/community relations development) Key players, main opponents Main identified causes of conflict 10 20/06/08 18:30 20:00 Kosovo II Main conflict interpretations and potential resolutions Place/role of issues of justice and equality in approaches of this conflict 11 20/06/08 Comparison of the role and place of Justice and Equality in the 3 conflict societies reviewed In which of these conflicts have the issues of justice and equality been really addressed? Similarities and differences between the role of each issue in the different contexts 12 26/06/08 Perspectives for conflict resolution in divided societies Concluding discussion, featuring a special guest providing expertise on an African divided society/conflict Generalisable conclusions with regard to the place and role of both Justice and Equality issues in conflict societies i.e. their relevance and significance (among other factors) in conflict and thus their potential for confict resolution Course requirements The course is organised as a workshop, in which the lecturer and participants will discuss and analyse the concepts of justice and equality in situations of conflict. BP 3 (9) 11/03/2008

4 Students are expected to attend the course regularly, to actively participate and to develop and refine their own views through critical engagement with the literature on justice and equality and the selected conflict societies discussed in the course. Throughout the three sections a main focus will be on developing expertise through informed discussions and small working groups on a specific issue. The working groups consisting of 4 5 students are expected to give an informed presentation on a specific lecture topic. The presentation should not exceed 20 minutes; a structured, (1 max. 2) pages handout should be distributed to the lecturer at least 3 days before the presentation, and after his assessment the (revised) handout should be distributed 1 day in advance to the respective discussants, the other course participants and the lecturer ideally via . The handout should briefly summarize the presentation topic and should include a critical appraisal and some key questions, which allow for a more in-depth discussion. Students are encouraged to use the technical equipment available (overheads, projector) * for their presentation. In the discussions, which will be moderated and guided by the lecturer, 2 3 students are expected to assume the role of discussants. The role of the discussants is to question and critically challenge the presenters and to raise additional issues for consideration. The discussants should also prepare a brief (1 page) handout to be circulated in due time before the respective course session. At the end of the course, all students should prepare a brief position paper (max. 1 page), which should include a critical appraisal and evaluation of the perspectives for conflict resolution in divided societies. Each student is expected to submit one essay on a specific essay question of to words max. (= pages), to be corrected by the lecturer. Students may choose to develop further their own working group topic or choose another topic. Students also may suggest their own topic. The essays may be submitted at any time during the course or in the last lecture of the course (on ), preferrably in electronic (.doc/.pdf) and printed form. In any case the essays have to be handed in by the Together with the essay each student is required to attach a signed plagiarism statement ( Persönliche Erklärung ) (either as scan or in printed form), which is available at the course website to download and also at the Department of Political Science (Institut für Politikwissenschaft, outside Rm. D202). Marking criteria Regular attendance: 10% Active participation/discussion: 10% Position paper: 10% Working groups/presentation: 20% Essay: 50% Lecture topics and themes for presentation The study of justice and equality as well as the analyses of the conflict cases under investigation has generated an extensive amount of books, articles and other media analyses. The reading list tries to offer some guidance on selected books and articles providing interesting and reliable information (not all do) and suggesting competing explanations, which will help students to develop a critically informed analysis of the lecture topics and will introduce perspectives which are not well covered in the media. An excellent starting point for research on the conflict in Northern Ireland is the CAIN Web Service (Conflict Archive on the Internet): The Northern Ireland Conflict, which is the gateway for resources on the Northern Irish conflict, including articles, data bases, photographs, and links to other websites: The website of the Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency (NISRA) is an excellent source for statistical * Please inform the lecturer at least one day before your presentation about the required technical equipment. BP 4 (9) 11/03/2008

5 data and analyses on various aspects of the conflict: For parliamentary material and activities see the Northern Ireland Assembly ( and for government affairs see the Northern Ireland Executive ( For the daily news on Northern Ireland see e.g. the Belfast Telegraph online edition: Regarding the Basque Country, for government information and news see the Presidency of the Basque Government ( for statistical analyses, opinion polls on socio-economic and political issues, the Euskobarometro ( and the Institudo Nacional de Estadística (INE) ( and for daily news the Basque News and Information Channel (eitb) ( On the Kosovo, for government affairs see the Government Portal ( for key statistics the Statistical Office of Kosovo ( for extensive news coverage on Kosovo and Serbia see B92 ( for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo see and for the European Union in Kosovo see For a comprehensive knowledge base containing expert analyses of and articles on various conflicts see the International Crisis Group ( ) and Beyond Intractability ( A major part of the suggested readings (see below) will be made available as 2 Readers both available for purchase at the Facultas NIG. The first reader (RE1) covering the course units 1 4 will be available at mid- March and the second covering the units 5 12 (RE2) at the beginning of May. Some Reference Books (RB) will also be available in the lecturer s shelf ( Handapparat ) at the library for sociology and political science (Fachbereichs-bibliothek Soziologie und Politikwissenschaft). In addition, some of the suggested readings will be made available for download (DL) on the course website: The reading list is of course not exhaustive, but should serve as a starting point and offer guidance for critical engagement with the issues at hand. All readings are suggested readings. Students may choose to read only part of the literature listed below, however, in order to get a comprehensive, in-depth and critical view on the issues dealt with in the course, it is recommended to engage with as much literature as possible. In any case, students are welcome to search for and use other relevant literature on the topics discussed. It is also recommended to follow the news on the conflict cases analysed in the course. Students may consult the lecturer in his office hour, which will be held regularly. However, prior notification via would be appreciated. 1. General Overview/Introduction 2. Theories of Justice Overview Themes for working group and discussion/essay topics: 1. What is Justice how is Justice defined? Can there be a general definition of justice, or does it have to be context-specific? What are the demands of justice? On which levels do conceptions of justice operate? 2. Give a brief outline and comparison of the main theoretical approaches of justice. What are the main issues and problems involved in these approaches? Suggested readings: Barry, Brian (1989) Theories of Justice. Berkley: University of California Press, Chapter 10 (RE1) Cohen, G. A. (1989) On the Currency of Egalitarian Justice. Ethics, Vol. 99, No. 4: (DL) BP 5 (9) 11/03/2008

6 Elster, Jon (1995) The Empirical Study of Justice, in Miller, David and Michael Walzer (eds.) (1995) Pluralism, Justice and Equality. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp (DL) Fabre, Cécile and David Miller (2003) Justice and Culture: Rawls, Sen, Nussbaum and O Neill. Political Studies Review: 2003 Vol. 1: (DL) Habermas, Jürgen (1995) Reconciliation Through the Public use of Reason: Remarks on John Rawls's Political Liberalism. The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 92, No. 3.: (DL) Hubin, D. Clayton (1979) The Scope of Justice. Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 9, No. 1: (DL) Kymlicka, Will (1990) Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction. Oxford: Clarendon Press, Chapters 2 and 6 (RB) Kymlicka, Will (2002) Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction. 2nd Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapters 1 (RE1) Miller, David (1991) Recent Theories of Social Justice. British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 21, No. 3: (DL). Rawls, John (1985) "Justice as Fairness: Political not Metaphysical." Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 14, No. 3: (DL) Rawls, John (1993/1996) Political Liberalism: New York, NY: Columbia University Press. (RB) Rawls, John (1995) Political Liberalism: Reply to Habermas. The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 92, No. 3: (DL) Rawls, John (1999) A Theory of Justice. Revised Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapters 1, 2 (10, 11) and page (RE1) Rawls, John (2001) Justice as Fairness: a Restatement. Edited by Erin Kelly. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press. (RB) Scheffler, Samuel (1994) The Appeal of Political Liberalism. Ethics, Vol. 105, No. 1: (DL) Swift, Adam (2001) Political Philosophy: A Beginners Guide for Students and Politicians. Cambridge, MA: Polity Press, Introduction and Part 1. (RE1) Young, Iris Marion (1990) Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (RB) 3. Perspectives on Equality Themes for working group and discussion/essay topics: 3. What is Equality? How is Equality defined in the various spheres within which it is usually referred to and relevant (i.e. political, socio-economic, cultural)? 4. Give a brief outline and comparison of the main theoretical approaches of equality. What are their relations (conceptual similarities and differences) to theories of justice? Are the ideas of justice and equality systematically interrelated? Are there correlations to other (social/political/economic) values? Suggested readings: Baker, John, Kathleen Lynch, Sara Cantillon and Judy Walsh (2004) Equality: From Theory to Action. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, Chapters 2 and 3 (RE1) Barry, Brian (1973) John Rawls and the Priority of Liberty. Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 2, No. 3: (DL) Beitz, Charles R. (1989) Political equality: An Essay in Democratic Theory. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP. (RB) Dworkin, Ronald (1981) What is Equality? Equality of Welfare. Journal Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 3: (DL) Dworkin, Ronald (1981) What is Equality? Equality of Resources. Journal Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 4: (DL) Joseph, Lawrence B. (1980) Some Ways of Thinking about Equality of Opportunity. The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 3, (DL) Kymlicka, Will (1990) Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction. Oxford: Clarendon Press, Chapters 3 and 6 (RB) Kymlicka, Will (2002) Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction. 2nd Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 3, 6 (RE1) Lane, Robert E. (2004) The Fear of Equality, in Jost, John T. & Jim Sidanius (eds.) (2005) Political Psychology: Key Readings. New York & Hove: Psychology Press. (RE1) BP 6 (9) 11/03/2008

7 McKerlie, Dennis (1996) Equality. Ethics, Vol. 106, No. 2: (DL) Rawls, John (1988) The Priorities of Right and Ideas of the Good. Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 17, No. 4: (DL) Rawls, John (1993/1996) Political Liberalism: New York, NY: Columbia University Press. (RB) Raz, Joseph (1978) Principles of Equality. Mind, New Series, Vol. 87, No. 347: (DL) Sen, Amartya (1996) On the Status of Equality. Political Theory, Vol. 24, No. 3: (DL) Swift, Adam (2001) Political Philosophy: A Beginners Guide for Students and Politicians. Cambridge, MA: Polity Press, Part 3. (RE1) 4. Justice and Equality in Conflict Analyses Themes for working group and discussion/essay topics: 5. How do the issues of justice and equality feature in the literature on conflict analysis? Give a brief outline and comparison of two conflict studies that involve an approach to justice and/or equality. 6. Give a brief outline of the main issues dealt with in conflict analyses (e.g. ethnicity, national identity, territory) and of those rather neglected (e.g. class, power, hegemony). With regard to justice in conflict societies: Do these issues require group-differentiated rights? Suggested readings: Anderson, Benedict (1991) Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Rev. ed. London: Verso, Chapter 1: 1 8. (RE1) Bauböck, Rainer (1999) Liberal Justifications for Ethnic Group Rights, in Joppke, Christian and Steven Lukes (eds.) (1999) Multicultural Questions. Oxford : University Press, pp (DL) Brubaker, Rogers (2002) Ethnicity without groups, in: Archives Européennes de Sociologies. xlii.2: (DL) Connor, Walker (1994) Ethnonationalism: The Quest for Understanding. Princeton: Princeton University Press, Chapter 3: (RB) Forst, Rainer (1997) Foundations of a Theory of Multicultural Justice. Constellations, Vol. 4, No. 1: (DL) Fraser, Nancy (2000) Rethinking Recognition. New Left Review, 3 (May/June 2000): (DL) Gellner, Ernest (1997) Nations and nationalism. Oxford: Blackwell. (RB) Habermas, Jürgen (1995) Address: Multiculturalism and the Liberal State. Symposium: Race and Remedy in a Multicultural Society. Stanford Law Review, Vol. 47, No. 5, pp (DL) Horowitz, Donald L. (1985) Ethnic Groups in Conflict. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press. (RB) Kymlicka, Will and Ruth Rubio Marin (1999) "Liberalism and Minority Rights. An Interview." Ratio and Juris, Vol. 12, No. 2: (DL) Kymlicka, Will (1989) Liberalism, Community and Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kymlicka, Will (1995) Multicultural Citizenship. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (RB) Kymlicka, Will (1996) Social Unity in a Liberal State, in Paul, Ellen Frankel, Miller, Fred D. Jr. and Jeffrey Paul (eds.) (1996) The Communitarian Challenge to Liberalism. Cambridge University Press, pp (RE1) Margalit, Avishai and Joseph Raz (1990) National Self-Determination. The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 87, No. 9: (DL) Miller, David (2002) Citizenship and National Identity. Cambridge: Polity Press, Chapter 8: (RE1) Norman, Wayne (2001) Justice and Stability in Multinational Societies, in Gagnon, Alain and Tully, James (eds.) (2001) Multinational Democracies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp (RE1) O'Neill, Shane (2003) "Justice in Ethnically Diverse Societies: A Critique of Political Alienation." Ethnicities, Vol. 3, No. 3: (DL) Parekh, Bhikkhu (2000) Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political Theory. Basingstoke: Palgrave, Chapter 11: (RE1) Peleg, Ilan (2007) Democratizing the Hegemonic State. Political Transformation in the Age of Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press, Introduction: (RE1) Sisk, Timothy (1996) Power Sharing and International Mediation in Ethnic Conflicts. Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, United States Institute for Peace, Washington, D.C., Chapter 2: (RE1) Tamir, Yael (1995) Liberal Nationalism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, Chapter 3: (RE1) BP 7 (9) 11/03/2008

8 Tamir, Yael (2004) Class and Nation, in Van Parijs, Philippe (ed.) (2004) Cultural Diversity versus Economic Solidarity. Brussels: De Boeck, pp (RE1) Taylor, Charles (1994) Multiculturalism: Examining the Politics of Recognition. Edited and introduced by Amy Gutmann. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, The Politics of Recognition (Taylor): (RE1) Tully, James (2001) Introduction, in Gagnon, Alain and Tully, James (eds.) (2001) Multinational Democracies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp (RE1) Young, Iris Marion (1989) Polity and Group Difference: A Critique of the Ideal of Universal Citizenship. Ethics, Vol. 99, No. 2: (DL) 5. Northern Ireland I Themes for working group and discussion /Essay topics: 7. Give a brief overview of the key historical landmarks with regard to the political/socioeconomic/community relations development in the Northern Ireland conflict. Who are the key players and main opponents? 8. What are the main identified causes of conflict? Can they be clearly separated and studied independently or are they inextricably interrelated?. 6. Northern Ireland II: Movie Screening Suggested readings will be announced and included in the second Reader. 7. Northern Ireland III Themes for working group and discussion/essay topics: 9. What are the main approaches in the study of the Northern Ireland conflict? What facets/factors are commonly emphasized (i.e. nationality, ethnicity, class, religion, etc.) Are there any facets/factors that are rather neglected in the conflict literature and that should be given more weight? How, if at all, do the different factors interact and/or reinforce each other? 10. What is the place and role of justice and equality in the approaches of the Northern Ireland conflict? How do issues of justice and equality feature in the present peace agreement (i.e. Good Friday/Belfast Agreement)? How did the conditions of justice and equality for the Catholic and Protestant communities develop from the Troubles to the peace process and then to the post-agreement period? 8. The Basque Country Themes for presentation/essay topics: 11. Give a brief overview of the key historical landmarks with regard to the political/socioeconomic/community relations development in the Basque conflict. Who are the key players and main opponents? 12. What are the main identified causes of conflict and the main conflict interpretations? What is the place and role of justice and equality in the approaches of the Basque conflict? How do issues of justice and equality feature in the (current) Basque Statute of Autonomy? BP 8 (9) 11/03/2008

9 9. Kosovo I Themes for presentation/essay topics: 13. What are the landmarks of the Kosovo conflict with regard to the political/socioeconomic/national relations development? Who are the key players and main opponents? Which key issues contribute to the apparent intractability of the conflict? 14. What are the main identified causes of the Kosovo conflict? Can they be clearly separated and studied independently or are they inextricably interrelated? 10. Kosovo II Themes for presentation/essay topics: 15. What are the main approaches in the study of the Kosovo conflict? What facets/factors are commonly emphasized (i.e. nationality, ethnicity, class, religion, etc.)? How, if at all, do the different factors interact and/or reinforce each other? 16. What is the place and role of justice and equality in the approaches of the Kosovo conflict? How do issues of justice and equality feature in the recent declaration of independence and the subsequent reactions by Serbia and by the international community? 11. Comparison of the role and place of Justice and Equality in the 3 conflict societies reviewed Themes for presentation/essay topics: 17. In which of these conflicts have the issues of justice and equality been really addressed? How significant are these issues for the perspectives of conflict resolution? Which specific aspects of justice and equality are particularly important? 18. What are the similarities and differences between the role of justice and the role of equality in the different contexts of Northern Ireland, the Basque Country and the Kosovo? Which theoretical conceptions of justice and equality are most promising for the analysis of these conflicts (and their potential for conflict resolution)? 12. Perspectives for conflict resolution in divided societies: Concluding Discussion Theme for presentation/discussion: 19. How meaningful and indeed how useful are conceptions of justice and equality for the study of conflicts in divided societies? What conclusions can be drawn from the conflict analyses reviewed in this course? What are the prospects for the study of justice and equality with regard to a more general approach to conflict resolution? 20. Conflict resolution in the real world: Explore the links between theory and practice. BP 9 (9) 11/03/2008