Kalyvas · Civil Wars
Develop a conceptual definition of civil war.
What Is Civil War?
Define.
Compare.
Test.
A structured reading-group activity for developing a defensible definition of civil war and testing its boundaries against political violence, organised crime and factional-economic conflict.
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Civil War definitions worksheet
The complete eight-page classroom worksheet, including group questions, synthesis tables, the Ramsbotham typology, a boundary case and the final evidence exercise.
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How the activity works
Four stages
- Read. Complete only the section for your group’s assigned reading.
- Present. Explain your group’s definition and criteria to the class.
- Synthesise. Combine the groups’ insights into a shared class definition.
- Test and revise. Apply the definition to factional-economic conflict and a boundary case.
Three perspectives
Reading groups
Sambanis · What Is a Civil War?
Translate the concept into operational inclusion rules.
Kalyvas · ‘New’ and ‘Old’ Civil Wars
Identify complications, mixed motives and hybrid cases.