Nationalism and Ethnic Conflicts

What is a nation? Where is the nation’s homeland? Who is part of "us" and who is part of "them"? Why some ethnic groups mobilize to civil wars while others remain silent? How are these questions answered? Why do these answers alter? These and other questions stand at the center of inter- and intra-national conflicts around the globe. This seminar will unfold the main theoretical approaches to understand them and will try to provide possible solutions for ethnic conflicts. It will then investigate the interactions between state-building and nation-building, the relationship between nationalism, citizenship and minority rights, the nexus between nationalism, ethnicity and conflict, the colonial legacies of nationalism (especially among Post-Soviet newly emerged states), the religious nationalism, and the impact of globalization on ethnicity and nationalism. We will also try integrating ideas of culture, ethnicity, and multiculturalism into conflict resolution.