Critique and Alternativity in International Relations

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 678-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gëzim Visoka
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Global Politics ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Critical Knowledge ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
Critical Approaches ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This article critically interrogates the episteme of alternativity in international relations (IR) to rethink the purpose of critical knowledge in global politics. It questions what critical knowledge is for and whose purpose it serves. While alternativity is the very condition that has given rise to critical approaches, there is a deep-rooted division among critical scholars regarding the relationship between criticality and alternativity. This article argues that alternativity provides an opportunity for critical scholars to remain relevant without being affiliated with positivist logics of inquiry. In examining the potential of alternativity, the article explores three modes of alternativity in peace and conflict studies: critique-without-alternative, critique-as-alternative, and critique-with-alternative. It probes the merits and limits of the episteme of alternativity in generating new possibilities for advancing emancipatory interests and saving critical theory from losing its original transformative impetus. In the final part, the article explores future directions for rejuvenating the purpose of critique by exploring the nexus between criticality and alternativity on postparadigmatic and practical grounds.

scholarly journals CPEC- AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR PEACE AND ITS IMPACT ON KASHMIR DISAGREEMENT

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 724-731
Author(s):  
Fakhar Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Ikramullah Khan ◽  
Sarfraz Hussain ◽  
Saadat Nawaz
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Economic Interdependence ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
Jammu And Kashmir ◽  
China And India ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
Deductive Method

Purpose of the study: This research explores CPEC as a model of "Economic Interdependence" for being a mega driver of Globalization, which can bring economic equilibrium through development and interconnectivity for resolution of Kashmir dispute by connecting institutional and diplomatic channels to the economic interdependency. Methodology: This research is based on secondary data collected from various sources like academic papers, electronic sources, Newspapers, Periodicals, Journals, organizational reports, and books. For interpretation of data, descriptive and analytical approach has to be adopted by using the deductive method of investigation. Principal Findings: The main findings indicate that CPEC will provide grounds for minimizing conflicts on accounts of consistent regional and intra-regional economic connectivity. CPEC will transfigure the geographic position of Azad Jammu and Kashmir into an asset to be an economic engine for the establishment of peace in the region by amicable resolution of prolonged Kashmir dispute using economic connectivity. Applications of this study: This research will be helpful for academics of peace and conflict studies, International Relations, diplomacy and strategic management, policymakers, diplomats of Pakistan, China, and India. It will contribute to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Novelty/Originality of this study: The novelty/originality of this research lies in the attempt to correlate the concepts of "CPEC as an actor of economic interdependence" and "CPEC as a catalyst for the amicable resolution of Kashmir dispute."

scholarly journals Temporality and contextualisation in Peace and Conflict Studies: The forgotten value of war memoirs and personal diaries

2021 ◽  
pp. 001083672110276
Author(s):  
Roger Mac Ginty
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
World War I ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
World War ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
War Memoirs

This article contributes to debates on appropriate levels of analysis, temporality, and the utility of fieldwork in relation to Peace and Conflict Studies (PCS), and International Relations more generally. It observes a recentism or privileging of the recent past in our studies and a consequent overlooking of the longer term. As a corrective, the article investigates the extent to which wartime memoirs and personal diaries (specifically from World War I and World War II) can help inform the study of contemporary peace and conflict. In essence, the article is a reflection on the epistemologies and methodologies employed by PCS and an investigation of the need for greater contextualisation.

scholarly journals Friendship and Positive Peace: Conceptualising Friendship in Politics and International Relations

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 115-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Van Hoef ◽  
Andrea Oelsner
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
International Level ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
The Status ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Positive Peace

In recent years, the study of friendship has gained traction in political science. The aim of this article is threefold: (1) to offer an overview of the status of friendship studies and how it relates to the emotional turn in international relations, (2) to present a wide variety of different approaches to studying friendship, and (3) to highlight the contribution that a friendship perspective can make to other fields, such as Peace and Conflict Studies. From Aristotle and Plato onwards, we trace the development of the concept of friendship, and present several theoretical conceptualisations and methodological approaches that can be readily applied when making sense of friendship, both on a personal level between elite actors, and on the international level between states. We end by drawing attention to the merit of the study of friendship specifically for the field of Peace and Conflict Studies, where it helps to address the lacuna of research on positive peace.

Complex Systems Approaches to Global Politics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Janzwood ◽  
Jinelle Piereder
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Complex Systems ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Security Studies ◽  
Global Politics ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
Systems Approaches ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict

The first attempts to integrate concepts from complexity theory into the study of international relations (IR) and global politics began in the early 1990s. Since then, adoption of complexity approaches to explain outcomes in global politics has grown significantly, particularly in the last decade. Complexity theory (or complex systems theory) describes a range of approaches aimed at addressing the perceived shortcomings of conventional approaches for explaining the behavior of physical and social systems. Complex systems approaches highlight the nonlinear, adaptive, coevolutionary, networked, and emergent behavior of systems. Increasingly, these concepts are being applied to systems implicated in the study of global politics by scholars of IR and its related disciplines, including global governance, public policy, security studies, critical security studies, peace and conflict studies, political economy, and environmental governance. Complex systems approaches have been used to critique conventional IR theories like realism, liberal internationalism, constructivism, and critical approaches that have dominated the field since the mid-20th century. While the application of complexity science methodologies has been relatively limited (with the exception of agent-based modeling), complexity concepts like emergence and coevolution have gained traction among scholars seeking to understand the myriad factors that lead to outcomes such as peace, violence, cooperation, system destabilization, and effective policymaking. Network approaches have also been commonly used to understand systems with many actors that have dynamic and distributed power structures. Complexity is sometimes flagged as an empty “buzzword” – which is certainly the case for some of the literature that claims to apply a complex systems approach to global politics. Thus, the challenge was to focus on scholarship that engaged earnestly with complexity theory rather than to simply applying a “complexity sheen” to conventional ideas. Beginning with General Overviews, three subcategories of literature are then presented that use complex systems approaches to critique and engage with IR theory: Paradigmatic Critiques, World Order, and Topic-Specific Theoretical Critiques. The remaining sections present literature from several subfields: Security Studies; Peace and Conflict Studies; Critical Theory; Policy and Governance; Environment and Energy Governance; Political Economy, Development, and Finance; and Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Science.

Emancipatory Peace

2021 ◽  
pp. 640-660
Author(s):  
Gëzim Visoka
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Violent Conflict ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Local Practices ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
Liberal Peace ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Liberal Peacebuilding ◽  
Shed Light

The quest for emancipation remains an aspirational project in critical peace and conflict studies. Recently, however, new proposals for emancipatory peace have emerged in conflict-affected societies. This chapter gives an overview of different visions of emancipatory peace and examines their key features. Whereas, for the proponents of liberal peace, local subjects need to be freed from the local practices, identities, habits, and structures that have caused violent conflict in the first place, critical scholars focus their emancipatory project on the importance of not only tackling the root causes of conflict but also unmaking the negative legacies of liberal peacebuilding’s failed attempts to resolve the tier-one suppressive structures. The first part of the chapter briefly outlines the significance of emancipation for different strands of critical theory. The tensions between deconstructive and reconstructive modes of critique will be examined to shed light on the extent to which critical theory can contribute to the development of emancipatory knowledge for social and political change. The discussion then surveys the early critiques of liberal peacebuilding and outlines some of the emerging visions of what emancipatory peace would look like in conflict-affected societies. Finally, the chapter traces some of the critiques of and responses to the visions of an emancipatory peace, and it concludes by exploring the limits of existing work in critical peace and conflict studies and exploring ideas for a future direction.

16. Critical Approaches to Global Politics

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Karl Marx ◽  
Global Politics ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Global Order ◽  
Critical Approaches ◽  
Friedrich Engels

This chapter examines seven critical approaches to global politics: Marxism, Critical Theory, constructivism, feminism, postmodernism, postcolonial theory, and green theory. In their book The Manifesto of the Communist Party, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels address the implications for global order of the rise of capitalism and the role of the bourgeoisie as controllers of capital. Their ideas have had a major influence on critical approaches to virtually all aspects of both domestic and global politics. The chapter considers some major strands of Marxist-influenced theory of direct relevance to global politics, including dependency theory, world-system theory, Gramscian theory, and Frankfurt School theory. It also discusses gender theory and compares postmodern/poststructural approaches to global politics with Critical Theory and constructivism in International Relations.

A culture of peace and leadership education

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich P. Schellhammer
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Education ◽  
Leadership Studies ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Community ◽  
Effective Leaders ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
Culture Of Peace ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between the principles of a culture of peace and leadership education. It argues that leadership should be informed by the values of a culture of peace. This, in turn, compels leadership education to teach mindsets, values and competencies aligned with a culture of peace. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the evolution of leadership theory within the context of an increasingly complex world. It then uses United Nations materials to identify principles for a culture of peace as it is now widely acknowledged by the world community. Identifying correspondence between both theoretical realms the paper identifies peace leadership education goals that are supported by established peace organizations and by philosophical and psychological scholarship. Findings The paper establishes a direct link between the values of a culture of peace and leadership that is adequate as well as successful to address the complexity of today’s world. It also identifies key principles that need to be adopted by leadership education to prepare students to become effective leaders. The paper also explores essential educational tools for leadership educators. Practical implications The theoretical framework presented in this paper can be used to adjust leadership education to give practical guidance for aspiring leaders. It is also useful for peace and conflict studies programmes interested in developing peace leaders. Originality/value The interrelationship between leadership studies and peace and conflict studies constitutes a new field of academic inquiry. The present paper is one of the first in the field and is intended to further establish this new disciplinary orientation.

Bridging the gap between cyberwar and cyberpeace

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 1727-1747
Author(s):  
Joe Burton ◽  
George Christou
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Security Studies ◽  
Cyber Warfare ◽  
Communications Technology ◽  
Conflict Studies ◽  
Critical Security Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
Conceptual Debate

Abstract The conceptual debate around the term cyber warfare has dominated the cybersecurity discipline over the last two decades. Much less attention has been given during this period to an equally important question: what constitutes cyber peace? This article draws on the literatures in peace and conflict studies and on desecuritization in critical security studies, to suggest how we might begin to rearticulate the cybersecurity narrative and shift the debate away from securitization and cyberwar to a more academically grounded focus on desecuritization and cyber peace. It is argued that such a move away from a vicious circle where states frame cybersecurity predominantly within a national security narrative and where they seek to perpetually prepare for cyberwar, to a virtual cycle of positive cyber peace, is not only a desirable, but a necessary outcome going forward. We assert that this is particularly important if we are to avoid (continuing) to construct the very vulnerabilities and insecurities that lead to the prioritization of offence and destruction in cyberspace, rather than transformative, human-centred development in information and communications technology innovation.

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