MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, KANIFING

COURSE SYLLABUS

PROGRAM: Peace and Conflict Studies

COURSE: Ethnicity and Culture in Peace and Conflict Studies

LEVEL: Advanced Diploma

SEMESTER: 2nd, July – December, 2017

INSTRUCTOR: Felix O. Omotosho, PhD

GSM: (+220)3850319, 2290660

E-MAIL: omotoshofelix@ahoo.com

CLASS HOURS: 11:00am – 12:30pm (Every Friday)

VENUE: Faculty of Law, Room 102, Kanifing.

A. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVE

This course is designed primarily for a diploma professional program in Peace and Conflict
Studies at the Management Development Institute, The Gambia. It is designed to assist its
students to acquire necessary skills in handling issues of peace and conflict management, most
especially, as it concerns peace-keeping, peace-building and peace-making to addressing
conflict and crises in human settlements across nations and the world at large.

Peace and conflict are two inter-related issues that live day by day with men in their
settlements- irrespective of the size of that society, nation, institution, family, peer-group,
government, inter-state and the global society at large. While peace is an essential ingredient
of good co-existence to building a nation, through development, conflicts co-exist with this
peace to bear on efforts made to consolidate on the peace-building, through cooperation,
dialogue, understanding, promotion of love and unity among the elements that make up the
group by the existing institutional authorities e.g. the government, which is expected to be the
body in charge of authority and society affairs.

Conflict occurs because humanbeings have or share differences in opinions and views, thoughts
and ideas on how things should be, how resources should be shared, who gets what, when and
how? The authoritative allocation of values, respect for one another, patience and tolerance
among others. Efforts of peace are made to resolve these differences arising from the instigating
factors like ethnicity and culture which have been wrongly advanced or harnessed in some
societies for negative intentions and purposes. This initiates disagreement and encourages
discontent. The latter instigates conflicts while conflicts breed crises and crises encourage
violence. Violence destroys human relations.
This course offers its students that required skill, knowledge and expertise to handle various
issues of conflict generating mechanism caused by ethnicity and culture in societies, especially,
in those societies that had been victims of colonial divisions and disarticulations like Africa.
The course looks at the various institutions of ethnic configurations and cultural values and
how they manage predominant-culture-based societies for peaceful co-existence.

At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to define and explain concepts of
ethnicity and culture. They should be able to discuss and analyse, using paradigms, the roles
of ethnicity and culture in peace and conflict management. They should also understand how
to harness ethnic values, differences and factors as resources in place of chauvinism and device
for the promotion of national values, patriotism and diversity. They should be able to use the
knowledge and skill acquired as facilitators of peace and conflict matters in institutions and
societies. They should be able to avail tools of strategies in peace and conflict to handle issues
of ethnicity, culture and national question towards the promotion of national development in
the one part and the global advancement in the second part.

B. COURSE OUTLINES

Week Topic(s)
1 Introducing ethnicity and culture: Meanings and Definitions in Perspective.
2 Concepts and Paradigms in ethnicity and culture.
3 Ethnicity and cultural practices in societies: Its role in promoting peace and its role
in instigating conflict.
4 & 5 Why study ethnicity and culture in peace and conflict? How can ethnicity be used as
a tool for peace and not a device for violence? Culture & World Affairs.
6 Actors and Practitioners of ethnicity and culture: Traditional institutions,
Governments, Schools, Religious bodies, Cultural institutions, Individuals and
Families, Students of Peace and Conflict Studies, Security agencies etc.
7 Seminar presentations and Revisions.

C. COURSE PATTERN AND POLICIES

(i) Class to be interactive and student-centered.

(ii) Class attendance compulsory and participation mandatory. This will attract marks.

(iii) Assignments and project-work will be given and their submissions on due dates. Late
submission will be penalized.

(iv) Use of phones and other distracting objects in the class are NOT allowed.

(v) References are compulsory for all assignments and plagiarism is not allowed.

(vi) Absenteeism, lateness and noise-making in the class will not be condoned.

(vii) Sleeping or eating in class while lecture is on is banned/ outlawed.

(viii) Students are encouraged to do research and form additional notes. The instructor will
monitor this exercise critically and conscientiously.

(ix) Politeness and good behavior are required in the class at all times.

(x) All assignments are to be typed for submission. Neatness is highly encouraged and will
be rewarded.

D. LEARNING RESOURCES

1. Anifowoshe et al, 2005, Elements of Politics, Iroansi Publications, Lagos, pp. 210 –
225.

2. Heywood, A, 2007, Politics, Palgrave Foundations, NY. pp. 163 – 230.

3. Murden, S, 2008: 420 – 433, Culure in World Affairs in Baylis, J, 2008, (4th ed;), The
Globalization of World Politics; An Introduction to International Relations, Oxford University
Press, NY.

4. Omotosho, F. 2016, “Ethnicity as a Tool for Nation-building in Nigeria”, Article in

Press of the Journal: http://www.ikpress.org/articles-press/42

5. Brubaker, R. (2009), Ethnicity, Race and Nationalism, Annual Review of Sociology

Online 10.1146

6. Hale, H. E. (2004), “Explaining Ethnicity, Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 37. No.
4, pp. 458 – 485, Ethiopia.

7. Omotosho, O. F. (2008), Ethno-Conflict Crises in Nigeria: A Perspective Overview of

the Niger-Belta Crises, 1000 – 2007, A Masters Thesis, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos,
Nigeria.

8. Porter, S. (2011), Ethnicity in Africa: A Road to Conflict or a Path the Peace, Advocacy
and Education for Transformation, Africa Faith and Justice Network.

9. Akinyele, R. T. (ed.), 2003, Race, Ethnicity and Nation-building in Africa (studies in

inter-group relations), Rex Charles Publication in Association Connel Publications, UK.

10. Varshney, A. (2002), Ethnic Conflicts and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India,
New Haven and London: Yale University Press, US.

11. Online- Resource Materials/ Texts: www.bookboon.com, www.academia.com,

www.sasnet.lu.se/EASASpapers/32TatuVanhanem.pdf (Accessed 20th July, 2012).

12. Newspapers, Electronic News and Programs, Magazines, Government Gazethes on

Ethnic matters and traditional affairs, print media etc.

13. Classnotes and lectures/ Handouts.

E. (i) ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

There will be 16weeks of rigorous lectures, out of which, tests, assignments and seminars will
be held.

There will be ONE assignment which carries (10marks) and it is to be given the second week
of lecture days 29/7/16. Submission date two weeks after assigned. Class Representative is to
collect and submit with its attendance to the instructor on the said date.

Second assignment (Project work) is to be given on the 5th August, 2016. Submission date is
6weeks after assigned 23/9/16. This carries 30marks.

Attendance and class participation is 10marks.

Total of continuous assessment is 50%.

(ii) Final Examination: Aptitude Test and Theory (50marks).

Total Cummulative = 100%

NOTE: For a satisfactory performance to be obtained at the end of assessment and examination,
students are advised to be very hardworking in classwork, including attendance, participation.
They should develop culture of reading and studying. They are advised to access recommended
texts and obtain the ones given in class. They are to do additional research and form notes,
submit all given assignments and make adequate preparations to write and pass the final
examinations.

Wishing you a brilliant success ahead.

Instructor’s Signature:

Date: