Peace and Conflict Studies: The Emergence and Development of the Field
What disciplines does Peace Studies draw from?
history, political science,
philosophy, sociology, psychology, political
psychology, anthropology, and gender studies.
What are severaş value-related assumptions of Peace and Conflict Studies (name four)?
• Human nature is good. Thus, peace is a
prime force for human behavior.
• Violence is not natural. It is a learned and
‘sinful’ behavior.
• Since violence is learned, peace can be
learned too.
• Durable peace can only be achieved through
peaceful means.
• Wars have enormous direct and indirect
costs.
• Wars are not inevitable. They can be
permanently eliminated by altering political
and socio-economic conditions.
According to Galtung, what is negative peace?
Negative peace conceives peace as if violence
were the norm. It defines peace in terms of
the absence of physical violence. Negative
peace may mark the end of a war.
Who is the author of Perpetual Peace?
Immanuel Kant
Sustainable peace is now a widely used term in the Peace Studies literature. What factors are particularly important for sustainable peace?
For
sustainable peace, nurturing, empowerment
and communication are particularly important.
After the First World War, US President Wilson proposed fourteen points to build peace across the world, including setting up an international organization dedicated to accomplishing this purpose. What was the title of this organization?
The League of Nations
Where was the first Peace Studies program established?
Indiana’s
Manchester College
Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse and Hugh Miall (2016: 46-77) divide the development of Peace and Conflict Studies into five stages. What are these
five stages?
precursors, foundations, constructions,
reconstruction, and cosmopolitan conflict resolution
Drawing from a wide range of disciplines and with a reasonably sound institutional base, conflict resolution had defined its specific subject area in relation to the three great projects by the early 1970s. What were these projects?
avoiding nuclear war, removing glaring inequalities and injustices in the global system, and achieving ecological balance.
As categorized by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), what are currently some significant areas of peace research (name five)?
Security
regions and power
violent organizations
religion
conflict patterns
civilians in conflict
migration
gender
peacebuilding
governance
business and peacebuilding
urbanization and environment
What are the traditional/legal approaches to peace and conflict resolution?
negotiation, arbitration,
mediation, and peacekeeping
What are the extra-traditional/extralegal approaches to peace and conflict resolution?
democratization, confidence building, and
nonviolence.
What does the judicial approach to conflict resolution involve?
the intervention of an institutionalized and legally recognized authority in a conflict
What are the main players of two-track diplomacy as third parties?
The United Nations specialized agencies and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs).
When does nonviolent action work best?
Nonviolent action works best when there are relatively symmetric relations between the parties, and they rely on each other for mutual well-being
According to critics, in what situations do Peace and Conflict Studies fail?
Peace and Conflict Studies fail in situations of international conflicts when there is a big power asymmetry between conflicting sides.
What is the criticism directed at the Peace and Conflict Studies' emphasis on reconciliation?
Peace and Conflict Studies stress reconciliation as the primary goal of peace, while criticisms stress “justice” as
the primary objective of peace.
According to critics, what is the methodological weakness of Peace and Conflict Studies?
The field is based on some concepts not suitable for empirical testing, such as conflict, peace, and justice. Moreover, although many Peace and Conflict Studies scholars use quantitative techniques, developed in economics and political science, it is claimed that such methods are not suitable for the field whose basic terms are ambiguous and vague.
Why do critics of Peace and Conflict Studies argue that the field is powerless against structural problems?
Because structural problems have roots that are in a problematic structure, and changing such a structure is almost practically impossible, at least in the short run.
What do Peace and Conflict Studies involve?
Peace and Conflict Studies involves efforts aimed at conflict prevention and conflict resolution through nonviolent means, seeking victory for all parties at the same time.