Assignments

Research Paper

The major requirement is a 20-30 page research paper that resembles a dissertation prospectus. The paper must define a question, specify variables and their measurement, identify underlying causal mechanisms, address the relevant literature, and develop hypotheses. Most students will need to formally present this paper in the last sessions of the course.

Topics/Titles of Student Papers

  • Fabbe, Kristin. "Defining Minorities and Enemies: Religious Categorization and State-Making in Greece and Turkey."

  • Dragojevic, Mila. "Newcomers in Ethnic Homeland: Refugee Identity and Participation in Vojvodina."

  • Smeland, Sean. "The Emerging Celtic Identity: Content and Character."

Ses #2 Short Assignment

A discussion of current definitions and measurements of ethnicity in major political science journals:

Below is a list of all articles from the American Political Science Review and the American Journal of Political Science from the last five years that contain the words "ethnic" or "ethnicity" in the title. Students should choose two of the articles that are most relevant to their research interests (except for Posner, which will be considered in Ses #3), summarize the argument, describe the operationalization of ethnicity, and consider alternative definitions.

  • Bahry, Donna, Mikhail Kosolapov, Polina Kozyreva, and Rick K. Wilson. "Ethnicity and Trust: Evidence from Russia." American Political Science Review 99, no. 4 (November 2005): 521-532.

  • Fearon, James D., and David Laitin. "Ethnicity, Insurgency and Civil War." American Political Science Review 97, no. 1 (February 2003): 75-90.

  • Chong, Dennis, and Dukhong Kim. "The Experiences and Effects of Economic Status Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities." American Political Science Review 100, no. 3 (August 2006): 335-351.

  • Posner, Daniel N. "Measuring Ethnic Fractionalization in Africa." American Journal of Political Science 48, no. 4 (2004): 849-863.

  • Cho, Wendy K. Tam. "Contagion Effects and Ethnic Contribution Networks." American Journal of Political Science 47, no. 2 (2003): 368-387.

  • Weldon, Steven A. "The Institutional Context of Tolerance for Ethnic Minorities: A Comparative, Multilevel Analysis of Western Europe." American Journal of Political Science 50, no. 2 (2006): 331-349.