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POL41930

Academic Year 2026/2027

Psychology of Conflict in the Middle East (POL41930)

Subject:
Politics
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Politics & Int Relations
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Stephanie Dornschneider-Elkink
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The Middle East is one of the regions most profoundly shaped by political conflict. This module examines the psychology of individuals and groups involved in both violent and nonviolent conflict across the region. We begin by introducing key psychological theories and frameworks for understanding conflict and political behaviour. We then apply these perspectives to historical and contemporary case studies, including the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Arab Spring, conflict in Lebanon, and the regional refugee crisis. Throughout the module, we incorporate perspectives from people and communities in the region while examining the psychological causes, consequences, and resolution of conflict.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should have:
- Demonstrate a systematic understanding of psychological approaches to the study of political conflict.
- Critically apply psychological theories and concepts to the analysis of conflict in the Middle East.
- Critically evaluate theoretical and empirical debates concerning the psychology of conflict, political behaviour, and conflict resolution in the Middle East.
- Integrate psychological and regional perspectives to analyse the causes, dynamics, and consequences of conflict in the Middle East.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Autonomous Student Learning

200
Total

224

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
active/task-based learning; peer and group work; lectures; debates; case-based learning; student presentations

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Continuous Assessment: mid-term essay Week 6 Graded No
30
 No
Essay: final paper Week 12 Graded No
50
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Every class involves learning activities. Together, these are worth 20% of the final grade. Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

We will discuss the assignments in class (before and after submission).

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