Prof Kristen Harkness
Director of Impact
Professor
Biography
Dr. Kristen A. Harkness joined the School of International Relations in 2013. She previously held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame after earning her PhD in Comparative Politics and International Relations from Princeton University.
Teaching
Modules
- Rebellion and Revolution (IR3060)
- Force and Statecraft (IR4548)
- International Security (IR5001)
- The Military in Politics (IR5065)
Lectures
- Issues in IR (IR2006) - has contributed lectures on ethnic conflict
- Research Methods in IR (IR5601) - has contributed lectures on comparative methods, quantitative methods, and research ethics
- Curriculum Design and Assessment (ID5102) - has contributed a case study on innovative teaching practice
Research areas
Dr Harkness' research interests lie at the intersection of ethnic politics and conflict studies, with a regional focus on Africa. She is engaged in several ongoing research projects that share a substantive focus on understanding the role of ethnicity in shaping the causes and dynamics of violence and a methodological focus on creating original large-N datasets through intensive archival research.
PhD supervision
- Marcel Plichta
- Alexandra Kerr
- Christopher Bennett
Selected publications
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When soldiers rebel: ethnic armies and political instability in Africa
Harkness, K. A., Sept 2018, Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. 278 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book
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Open access
The ethnic stacking in Africa dataset: when leaders use ascriptive identity to build military loyalty
Harkness, K. A., Sept 2022, In: Conflict Management and Peace Science. 39, 5, p. 609-632 24 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Security force assistance to Cameroon: how building enclave units deepens autocracy
Harkness, K., 2 Nov 2022, In: International Affairs. 98, 6, p. 2099-2117 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
The ethnic army and the state: explaining coup traps and the difficulties of democratization in Africa
Harkness, K., Jun 2016, In: Journal of Conflict Resolution. 60, 4, p. 587-616 30 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Military loyalty and the failure of democratization in Africa: how ethnic armies shape the capacity of presidents to defy term limits
Harkness, K. A., 29 Jul 2017, In: Democratization. 24, 5, p. 801-818 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review