Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/ International Studie...arrow_drop_down
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/
International Studies Perspectives
Article . 2018 . Peer-reviewed
Data sources: Crossref
versions View all 2 versions
addClaim

A Divided Discipline? Mapping Peace and Conflict Studies

Authors: Bright, J; Gledhill, J;

A Divided Discipline? Mapping Peace and Conflict Studies

Abstract

Scholars in the field of “peace and conflict studies” have long worried that their discipline is divided -- between studies of war and warmaking, and studies of peace and peacemaking. However, empirical research into the existence, extent, and nature of such a division is scarce. We remedy this, by addressing two questions: 1) How is work in the field of peace and conflict studies distributed between its two nominal pillars: “peace” and (violent) “conflict”? 2) To what extent is there communication and exchange between the two sets of studies? Making use of a unique combination of methods, we find that studies of violence hold a dominant position in the field, although there is also a sizable body of work that explores topics of peace, understood as conflict prevention and/or response. That said, we find limited evidence of intellectual exchange between studies of war/making and peace/making. We also find evidence of gendered, regional, and methodological divides. We argue that such schisms may be preventing scholars of peace and conflict from collectively realizing the founding ontological goal of their discipline, which was to understand the causes of war in order to contribute to an understanding of how conflict can be managed peacefully.Resumen: Los académicos en el ámbito de los estudios de paz y conflicto tradicionalmente se han preocupado porque su disciplina está dividida entre estudios de la guerra y de cómo se hace la guerra, y estudios de paz y de cómo lograrla. Sin embargo, la investigación empírica sobre la existencia, el alcance y la naturaleza de dicha división es escasa. Por lo tanto, planteamos dos interrogantes: 1) ¿cómo se distribuye el trabajo en el ámbito de los estudios de paz y conflicto entre sus dos pilares nominales: paz y conflicto (violento)?; y 2) ¿en qué medida hay comunicación e intercambio entre los dos conjuntos de estudios? Mediante el uso de una combinación única de métodos, hallamos que los estudios de violencia ocupan una posición dominante en el campo, aunque también hay un corpus de trabajo considerable que explora temas de paz, entendida en términos de prevención de conflictos y/o respuesta ante situaciones de conflicto. Encontramos evidencia limitada de intercambio intelectual entre los estudios relativos a la guerra –y cómo se hace– y la paz –y cómo alcanzarla–. También encontramos evidencia de divisiones de género, regionales y metodológicas. Sostenemos que tales escisiones podrían estar impidiendo que los académicos de paz y conflicto logren colectivamente la meta ontológica fundacional de su disciplina, que consiste en entender las causas de la guerra para llegar a comprender cómo se puede lidiar con el conflicto pacíficamente.

Country
United Kingdom
Related Organizations
  • BIP!
    Impact byBIP!
    selected citations
    These citations are derived from selected sources.
    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    29
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 10%
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Top 10%
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 10%
Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
29
Top 10%
Top 10%
Top 10%
Green
bronze