MVZb2061 Enemy Image and the Political Psychology of Conflicts in IR

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
Maya Higgins, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Urbanovská, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites
! MVZb2026 The Politics of Enmity
Proficiency in English to an academic standard. Background in the field of Political Psychology or Peace and Conflict studies is helpful, but not required. Attention! This course will be taught as a bulk course, online, in the first four weeks of the semester (see specific dates in the interactive syllabus). Sessions will be recorded and made available to students who can't fully participate in the course due to other academic commitments.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 8 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The field of Peace and Conflict Studies is highly interdisciplinary. Much of its foundational theory (and practice) draws on psychology, thus providing an empirically grounded perspective on intra/interpersonal and intra/intergroup conflicts. The analysis of visual and other representations (the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way) is central to the fields of anthropology, sociology and cultural studies. Such representations are cultural productions, derived from ideologies, values and beliefs of the culture which produced and consumes them. Moreover, representations are produced within a political environment, where the issues of class, gender, power and social order are present. As such, the analysis of representations and image formation is essential when conflicts are concerned. By focusing on the portrayal of the adversary (‘Enemy Image’), this course will explore the intersection of political psychology and international relations when conflicts are concerned. Since it is impossible to cover the entire field in one semester, this course is designed as a curated overview including both theory and application, aimed to open up new lines of inquiry and provide inspiration for future research. The course is composed of two parts: We begin the semester by defining, exploring, and discussing relevant concept and theories (in-group and out-group, Enemy Image, Social Categorization, Scapegoating, Dehumanization, etc.). These are used as a launching pad, from which we investigate the landscape of political psychology pertaining to conflicts in IR. In the second part of the course, we turn to the depiction of adversaries in specific political conflicts spanning over time (past and present) and geographical locations. Such Conflicts include the Northern Ireland conflict ('The Troubles'), the Cold War, the Winter War, and the Israeli Palestinian conflict. In order to stay true to the nature of the field, this course is designed to be interdisciplinary. As such, the mandatory reading is deliberately eclectic, employing a wide array of research traditions, and a diverse set of methodologies. Attention! This course will be taught as a bulk course, online, in the first four weeks of the semester (see specific dates in the interactive syllabus). Sessions will be recorded and made available to students who can't fully participate in the course due to other academic commitments.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will exhibit a broad and deep understanding of: • The social and political environments in which conflicts materialize and are sustained. • The role of enemy image in cultivating conflict and its contribution to the conflict’s intractability, both generally and specifically. • The way individual and cultural differences can affect conflict dynamics. • Theoretical, empirical, and practical connections across disciplines. In addition, students will improve their ability to: • Apply theory to specific test cases and discuss the challenges of conflict at multiple levels. • Notice one’s own personal attitudes toward, assumptions about, and responses to ‘the enemy’ (real or imagined) and reflect on how this can affect conflicts and conflict resolution. Attention! This course will be taught as a bulk course, online, in the first four weeks of the semester (see specific dates in the interactive syllabus). Sessions will be recorded and made available to students who can't fully participate in the course due to other academic commitments.
Syllabus
  • The syllabus is available in the IS to registered students. Attention! This course will be taught as a bulk course, online, in the first four weeks of the semester (see specific dates in the interactive syllabus). Sessions will be recorded and made available to students who can't fully participate in the course due to other academic commitments.
Literature
  • COTTAM, Martha L., Elena MASTORS, Thomas PRESTON and Beth DIETZ. Introduction to political psychology. Fourth edition. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022, x, 586. ISBN 9780367200008. info
  • Political psychology : new explorations. Edited by Jon A. Krosnick - I-Chant A. Chiang - Tobias H. Stark. First published. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017, xiii, 525. ISBN 9781138802018. info
  • HOUGHTON, David Patrick. Political psychology : situations, individuals, cases. Second edition. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015, x, 329. ISBN 9780415833820. info
  • ISPAS, Alexa. Psychology and politics : a social identity perspective. First published. London: Psychology Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2013, x, 129. ISBN 9781848721197. info
Teaching methods
This course will be taught as a bulk course, online, in the first four weeks of the semester (see specific dates in the interactive syllabus). Sessions will be recorded and made available to students who can't fully participate in the course due to other academic commitments.
Assessment methods
This is a fail/pass course. A passing grade will be given to students based on: 1. One short quiz (online). 2. Collaborative Presentations (in groups), via Zoom, on Friday October 27th, 09:00-12:15. *** A passing grade requires the successful completion of BOTH assignments.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2024, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/MVZb2061