Security Sector Reform: Conceptual and Contextual Debates in Peacebuilding (DHP-P202M)

Spring 2024 · DHP P202M · Tufts University · 1.5 credits · Undergraduate

This module is an in-depth primer on the conceptual underpinnings and the record of implementation of security sector reform (SSR) over the past 20 years. The course begins with a brief overview of the historical and theoretical foundations of the field and frequent debates raised by the community of practitioners as well as critics. The course is organized around the SSR model as defined by Jane Chanaa across four dimensions: political, institutional, societal, and economic. Classes will explore the conceptual definitions, institutions and actors, and lessons learned within each dimension and apply the model to case studies. Students will compare SSR implementation when led by the local government, the United Nations, regional organizations, and/or outside states including the United Kingdom and the United States. The course closes with the students’ assessment of the SSR as a conceptual tool for peace building and prospects for its future evolution in practice.

Course codes: DHP-P202M

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