PECOS4110 – International Negotiations/Conflict Resolution
Course description
Course content
This course is discontiuned and will be replaced by STV4208B International Negotiations.
As the world becomes more interconnected, states increasingly find themselves in relationships of interdependence where the welfare of each depends on the actions of all. International negotiation constitutes an important tool to peacefully manage such relationships of interdependence and to prevent or end violent conflict. But when do actors engage in negotiations to resolve their disputes and under what conditions do they succeed?
Taking the point of view of the practitioner of negotiations, this course gives you knowledge about the negotiators’ rationale for different types of strategies and tactics, how different types of strategies and tactics may generate different types of negotiation dynamics and which implications different types of dynamics may have for the negotiation outcome. The course also gives you insight in key approaches to deal with post-conflict challenges.
Teaching includes lectures and seminars, a mandatory one-day simulation exercise where students play the role of a negotiator, and meetings with practitioners of negotiations.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Having completed the course, students
- know key concepts and perspectives in negotiation theory
- understand how parties reason when they decide whether to enter into negotiations or not
- understand parties’ choice of strategies and tactics in the negotiation process
- can explain different types of negotiation dynamics and how they are linked to negotiation parties’ choice of strategies and tactics
- know key post-conflict governance and power-sharing arrangements and understand the conditions under which they may promote peace
Skills
Having completed the course, students
- can assess negotiation outcomes and identify main causes of negotiation success and failure
- can use basic negotiation concepts and perspectives in their own independent analyses of cases of international negotiations and post-conflict situations
- can use their acquired knowledge to develop a negotiation strategy to pursue a given interest in a given situation
- can present their analyses in both written and oral form
Competences
Having completed the course, students have acquired
- a general understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with negotiations
- a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that often cause negotiation failure and the conditions under which negotiations are likely to succeed.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
For incoming students
All Master's courses in Political Science must be registered manually by the Department, they will not appear in Studentweb. Contact your international coordinator at UiO.
Prerequisites
Recommended previous knowledge
Knowledge of research methods.
Overlapping courses
- 5 credits overlap with STV4208B – International Negotiations
- 5 credits overlap with STV4205
Students who have completed STV4208B can not take PECOS4110 as these two courses overlap.
Teaching
Lectures and a simulation exercise.
The lectures are not mandatory, but we advise you to follow them. The full-day simulation exercise is mandatory.
The purpose of the simulation exercise is to give participants an opportunity to try out models and theories from the course in an imaginary conflict situation. The students will work together in small groups.
Absence from compulsory tuition activities
If you are ill or have another valid and documented reason for being absent from the compulsory simulation exercise you will be assigned a topic for the oral exam.
Examination
Oral examination and a term paper.
In order to pass the course, your performance in the oral examination and the term paper must both satisfy the minimal requirements. Moreover, your term paper and oral examination must be passed in the same semester.
The oral examination counts for 30 percent of the total grade, the term paper for the remaining 70 percent.
Oral presentation
The oral presentation is linked to the one-day simulation exercise. You will be asked to give an oral presentation of which tactics and strategies you planned to use in the negotiation game, how these tactics and strategies were carried out in the negotiations, and the extent to which you think they were successful for achieving your goals in the negotiated outcome. You will be asked to link your presentation of tactics, strategies and outcome in the simulation exercise to the literature on the curriculum and you may also be asked additional questions to the curriculum after your oral presentation. For the presentation, you have 15 minutes at your disposal and you are free to use Power Point, blackboard or whiteboard.
Term paper
For the term paper you are free to choose your own research question, but it must reflect the curriculum of the course. If you are uncertain that your chosen research question satisfies this requirement, you must contact the course leader to acquire acceptance for the chosen research question.
Term paper requirements
- maximum 4500 words
- formal requirements and submission
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
If you are sick or have another valid reason for not attending the regular exam, we offer a postponed exam later in the same semester.
See also our information about resitting an exam.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.