The analysis of ethnic conflicts is en vogue in many strands of the social sciences. Concepts like ethnization or ethnification are used to describe the rising tide of this type of conflicts. However, many analysts tend to use the concept of ethnicity as a mere epiphenomenon – as if scientific inquiry only needed to uncover the “real” causes, e.g. economic or political cleavages, underlying a given conflict.

In this transdisciplinary seminar we will explore a slightly different line of thought. Based on a broad reading of different theories of ethnicity, ranging from Max Weber to constructivism, we will reconstruct the dynamics of ethnic conflicts as self-sustaining systems equipped with their own inner rationale. Based on perspectives in sociology, political science, psychology, and cultural anthropology we will tackle questions like: What do observers and participants mean by calling a social phenomenon ethnic? Why are ethnic discourses so often used to describe group conflicts? What are typical trajectories of ethnic conflicts? What types of ethnic settings stabilize a given social order and which promote the escalation of ethnic conflicts?

The seminar is designed for Ph.D. students in the social sciences who work on ethnic conflicts. It employs two pedagogical methods: on the one hand, experienced teachers from various fields will give an overview of various disciplinary approaches and highlight potential routes for transdisciplinary research; on the other hand, advanced doctoral students are encouraged to work together in small groups to discuss their own research projects. Though not obligatory, paper submission are welcome.

http://web.uni-marburg.de/konfliktforschung//springschool/