4.1 Models of Peace and Conflict
Key concepts: Peace, Conflict, Human Rights, Sustainability, Violence, Non-Violence
Theoretical Perspectives: Feminism, Liberalism, Marxism, Realism
New terms: negative peace, positive peace, structural violence, micro and macro peace, holistic gaia peace, conflict, war, conflict dynamics, peace making, peace keeping, peace building
In this unit, we are going to dive deep into different notions of peace and conflict. We will explore the diversity of opinions and among peace and conflict scholars regarding the meaning of peace, and apply a variety of models to analyse conflicts we have already covered in previous units. These include:
- Ukraine
- Somalia
- Nigeria
- South China Sea
- Racial bias and police violence in the USA
Key questions include:
- What is peace, and how do definitions of peace vary between different theoretical perspectives?
- What are the actions involved in peace making, peace keeping, and peace building?
- What is conflict, and what are the different types of conflict we can witness in global politics?
- Are peace and conflict polar opposites, or is their relationship to each other something else?
- Why do liberals think that democracy is the most peaceful form of governance??
- How do peace and conflict relate to human rights and development?
- How can we use models such as the conflict triangle and the PIN model to better understand and analyse conflict dynamics?
Required Reading
Groff, Linda and Smoker, Paul: Creating Global-Local Cultures of Peace (extracts), http://www.gmu.edu/programs/icar/pcs/smoker.htm
Gleek, Charles et. al.: Pearson Essentials: Global Politics, Peace and Conflict chapter
Somalia piracy reader
Review of previous case study notes
Recommended Reading
Endless War: a brief history of the Somali conflict, Accord Issue 21