Michael Schulz | University of Gothenburg (original) (raw)

Books by Michael Schulz

Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2020

Despite the fact that many researchers have focused on Hamas’ armed resistance activities, surpr... more Despite the fact that many researchers have focused on Hamas’ armed resistance activities, surprisingly few have theorised about the political choices and dilemmas that Hamas has faced in the context of the changing overarching conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. This study aims to show, theoretically, how context-dependent Hamas is when formulating its resistance and Demo-Islamic practise and that this occurs in interrelations with key actors of the conflict. This study also presents important new empirical data that, in part, also challenges previous research. Hamas is one of the very few Islamist organisations that has reached a governance position via democratic and fair elections. Thus, Hamas can serve as a case study of how Islamist may act in (quasi)democratic surroundings.

At the same time, Hamas is a key actor in the overarching conflict, which has several unique characteristics. Hamas’ armed resistance is described as an instrument for the Jihad against the Israeli occupation. However, the Dawa work at the grassroots level can also be seen as a resistance practice that can be identified as constructive resistance. The internal discussion in Hamas as to what strategies to apply, as will be shown, are also formed and impacted by various interrelations with external actors of the conflict. The Palestinian public, in particular, is a key actor that influences Hamas in various ways, although Fatah, PLO, Israel and other external actors also have their specific roles to play.

London: Routledge, 2019

Edited volume: Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security provides the first comprehensive look a... more Edited volume:
Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security provides the first comprehensive look at Middle East security issues that includes both traditional and emerging security threats. Taking a broad perspective on security, the volume off ers both analysis grounded in the ‘hard’ military and state security discourse but also delves into the ‘soft’ aspects of security employing a human security perspective. As such the volume addresses imminent challenges to security, such as the ones relating directly to the war in Syria, but also the long- term challenges. The traditional security problems, which are deep- seated, are at the risk of being exacerbated also by a lack of focus on emerging vulnerabilities in the region. While taking as a point of departure the prevalent security discourse, the volume also goes beyond the traditional focus on military or state security and considers non- traditional security challenges. This book provides a state- of- the- art review of research on the key challenges for security in the Middle East; it will be a key resource for students and scholars interested in Security Studies, International Relations, Political Science and Middle Eastern studies.

This volume explores in depth the origins, current state, dynamics, significance and future prosp... more This volume explores in depth the origins, current state, dynamics, significance and future prospects of regionalism and regionalization in a globalizing world. Placing a loop on nearly all important ‘world’ regions in the global system today — Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, Southern Africa, Caucasia and Central Asia, South Asia, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, East Asia, North and finally South America — it is emphasized that regionalization is an unevenly developing, heterogeneous, pluralistic and multidimensional phenomenon but nevertheless global. The processes are advanced in some areas and embryonic in others, but they all contain important similarities and important differences.
Our point of departure is that the multidimensionality of contemporary regionalization warrants a new type of analysis, which transcends the dominant theories of regional integration, such as neorealism, functionalism, neo-functionalism, institutionalism, market and trade integration, structuralism, development integration and so on. In contrast to the different versions of mainstream regional integration theory, we argue that the analysis should avoid fixed and one-dimensional definition of regions as well as a ‘narrow’ and simplified focus on instrumental state strategies, regional organizations, security alliances and trading blocs. In response the book argues for the relevance of what has become established as the new regionalism approach (NRA).

Articles and chapters by Michael Schulz

Journal of Political Power, 2023

his paper deals with the quality of civil resistance and, in particular, the democratizing qualit... more his paper deals with the quality of civil resistance and, in particular, the democratizing qualities of various civil resistance practices. There is a great amount of research on civil resistance and its capacities to foster social change, and in particular its impact on increased democracy. However, we still have an empirical bias in this research since these studies mainly focus on mass-mobilized breaking resistance. This paper provides an analysis of various civil resistance practices’ democratizing qualities based on a case study – namely the Palestinian village Bil’in’s campaign against the Israeli plans to build a ‘security barrier’‚ through the village’s farmlands. The process of the campaign began in 2002 and lasted until the Supreme Court of Israel’s decision from 2007 to re-route the building of the ‘security barrier’ away from the farmland from was implemented in 2011. Based on a ‘process tracing’ (PT) methodology, an analysis of, primarily, interviews that were made with Bil’in activists and proxy activists (mainly Israelis) is presented, where the tracing underlying mechanisms could explain why the campaign had an impact on democracy. Theoretically, the paper applies the concept of ‘democratizing qualities’ (Munck 2016), as well as the analytical toolbox that is labelled the ABC of civil resistance. The paper will conclude with a presentation of potential causal mechanisms that may explain why the civil resistance campaign impacted on democracy. The guiding overarching research question is: In what ways can different practices of civil resistance have democratizing qualities?

The debate triggered by recent publications and research justifying colonialism demands an intell... more The debate triggered by recent publications and research justifying colonialism demands an intellectual engagement with the histories of colonialism, and their impact on postcolonial trajectories of development, peace and conflict. The argument that colonialism inspired development in societies that embraced its modernity project, enlightened governance and efficient administration-which in turn inspired national consciousness embedded in anti-colonial struggles-has been extensively critiqued. However, less attention has been paid to colonialism's enduring everyday impact and visible continuities. We argue that the present political moment defined by right-wing, conservative and insular nationalisms and racisms-particularly in Western politiesrequires deeper critique. It demands an intensive re-engagement with colonialism's legacies, the politics of race and racism and the postcolonial (un)making of 'selfhood' and 'nation-statehood' evidenced in many parts of the world. This collection revisits the impact of colonialism on the postcolonial politics and decolonial developments in Africa; its focus is to reinvestigate the endurance and efficacy of the power relations devised and propagated by the European colonial projects and their continued presence in African states and societies. On retelling 'old' stories In 2020, a year marked by one of the most catastrophic pandemics of the modern era, which has exacerbated global inequalities, the 'Black Lives Matter' (BLM) movement took the world by storm. Since 2013, the BLM movement has highlighted how coloniality and racism continue to determine social relations, political exchanges, cultural hierarchies, epistemic erasures and strategic silences in normalising a predominantly white, Euro-American world order. The BLM movement itself built on other activist calls including the 'Rhodes Must Fall' protests in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2015, to bring down the statue of Cecil Rhodes, a well-known and celebrated imperialist. The original protests escalated into a wider movement in South Africa, the UK and the US to bring down statues of institutionally exalted former colonialists and imperialists.

Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies, 2022

This article examines the extent of Palestinian public support for democracy through the time per... more This article examines the extent of Palestinian public support for democracy through the time period from 1997 to 2016. The analysis is based on data collected from five public surveys launched in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. Our findings show that evidently 1 Mahmoud Mi'ari is a retired Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Birzeit University, Palestine. He has published tens of articles on various topics related to Palestinian society and Israeli society, with a focus on collective identity, interethnic relations, political culture, and sociology of education. His most recent publications are the following: 'Transformations in Party Support and Attitudes toward Solving the Palestinian Problem',

Journal of Political Power, 2023

Two significant developments-(1) the rapidly changing world order, and (2) significant gaps in cu... more Two significant developments-(1) the rapidly changing world order, and (2) significant gaps in current social science scholarshipcall for a further exploration of resistance theories. In this paper, we identify some of the gaps and inconsistencies within the current bulk of research, and seek to contribute to the understanding of resistance, its applications and complexity. In short, this paper discusses three interacting and supporting forms of resistance, including various overlaps and interlinkages between them, which together constitute what we would like to call the ABC of resistance; that is, avoidance resistance, breaking resistance, and constructive resistance.

Third World Quarterly, 2020

This article argues that decolonizing educational undertakings is a difficult task, even when the... more This article argues that decolonizing educational undertakings is a difficult task, even when the ambitions to apply decolonizing approaches are clearly articulated. Our case analysis of two contemporary MA peace education programs in Rwanda that explicitly focus on reconciliation, shows evidence of limited capacity by the educators to decolonize them. We draw from semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, as well as text-analysis of syllabi, course guides etc., and demonstrate that access for all societal groups to the programs is restricted; the extent of decolonization of the education itself, including alternative narratives of the conflict history, as well as the conceptualization of ethnic ‘identity’ within peace education is still limited. The MA programs thus, preserve colonial legacies and contribute to maintain historical hierarchical relations between the Hutu and Tutsi groups in the country.

Middle East Critique, 2020

Based on data collected from interviews with 41 Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations (PNGOs... more Based on data collected from interviews with 41 Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations (PNGOs) this article will show how they endured the dramatic structural changes that occurred with the advent of the Oslo process and consequently have changed the work dynamics of the PNGO sector in a fundamental manner, and thereby negatively affecting the way society at large and in this case, PNGOs work for the gratification of communities. We theorize around the PNGO’s own descriptions which in detail informs how earlier significant voluntary work in territories under Israeli occupation transformed through an NGOization process leading to professionalization and donor dependence of PNGOs.

Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies, 2020

This article presents a framework, applied on the case of former Yugoslavia, which should be cons... more This article presents a framework, applied on the case of former Yugoslavia, which should be considered in the design and analysis of negotiated agreements dealing with ‘ethnic conflict’ and civil wars. Such agreements implemented from above must include an analysis of how they affect: i) the local rationality structure (both intra- and inter-ethnic relations); ii) structural conditions; iii) institutional conditions and relations; and iv) the space for contestation of implementation. Basd on document analysis, this study demonstrates that if left unattended these dimensions may recreate tensions for years to come, block implementation and generate risk of relapse into violent conflict.

Journal of Political Power, 2020

Editorial written by the PoReSo group (The research group Power, Resistance and Social Change): T... more Editorial written by the PoReSo group (The research group Power, Resistance and Social Change): This special issue addresses the connections and crossroads between knowledge and resistance. In the current political landscape, such a research endeavour is both topical and needed. Social media platforms, like Facebook, and the development of new technologies have made it possible to spread disinformation through political channels, which has laid the foundation for new ways of governing. For example, The Washington Post fact-checker team counted 492 false or misleading claims made by the US president Donald Trump or his team during his first 100 days in power.1 In Vietnam and Ethiopia, citizens were enlisted or hired to use their personal Facebook pages to post pro-government messages and influence social media conversations in the favour of the respective ruling party. The Guatemalan government, on the other hand, used hacked or stolen social media accounts to silence voices of dissent.

Journal of Political power, 2020

This article illustrates how official hegemonic narratives of armed conflicts and history are res... more This article illustrates how official hegemonic narratives of armed
conflicts and history are resisted by academics by generating counter-
narratives and how this affects the public perception of identity
conflicts. Due to the relatively high status of academics, critical and
alternative knowledge production serve as a tool for resistance
against the mainstream narrative. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
we discuss competing narratives, and how new narratives by various
academics challenge the official narrative. In the case of
Rwanda where the resistance is more clandestine, we demonstrate
how the official narrative is challenged by academics and individuals
based outside the country. In the case of Sri Lanka, we highlight
how two dominant narratives, one by the government and the
other by the rebels, competed with the counter-narratives. Overall,
we demonstrate how counter-narratives construed to serve as
a form of resistance are unfolding in various struggles, and how
the gradual impact of academics’ agencies on changing hegemonic
narratives finds a contextual definition.

Security Dialogues, 2018

Lebanon is receiving most Syrian refugees per capita of all countries surrounding Syria. The most... more Lebanon is receiving most Syrian refugees per capita of all countries surrounding Syria. The most marginalized within Lebanon, the Palestinian refugees that came to Lebanon in 1948 are also hosting arriving Syrian refugees. This study aims to better understand the interplay and interrelations between hosts and refugees. This study is concerned with the overarching question: What is the relationship between the Palestinians hosting the Syrian refugees, and how do they cope with already increasingly narrow resources they have at their disposal, and how is the social relationships between the two refugee groups in Lebanon? Theoretically this study explores and develops a synthesis of a pluralist society model and the ethno-class model, a new approach that best can describe how interrelations in the refugee context in Lebanon are developing. The
refugee camp Wavel outside the city of Baalbek in the north serves as case for this study. Semistructured interviews and focal group discussions have been made with both Palestinian hosts, as well as Syrian refugees.

Journal of Political Power, 2017

Lately, the concept of ‘resistance’ has gained considerable traction as a tool for critically exp... more Lately, the concept of ‘resistance’ has gained considerable traction as a tool for critically exploring subaltern practices in relation to power. Few researchers, however, have elaborated on the inter-linkage of shifting forms of resistance; and above all, how acts of everyday resistance entangle with more organized and sometimes mass-based resistance activities. In this paper, these entanglements are analysed by taking into consideration the connections between articulations of resistance and technologies of power. Empirical observations from Cambodia are theorized in order to provide better theoretical tools for searching and investigating the inter linkage between different resistance forms that contribute to social change. In addition, it is argued that modalities of power and its related resistance must be understood, or theorized, in relation to the concepts of ‘agency’, ‘selfreflexivity’ and ‘techniques of the self’.

This article explores the meaning of “resistance” and suggests a new path for “resistance studies... more This article explores the meaning of “resistance” and suggests a new path for “resistance studies,” which is an emerging and interdisciplinary field of the social sciences that is still relatively fragmented and heterogeneous. Resistance has often been connected with antisocial attitudes, destructiveness, reactionary or revolutionary ideologies, unusual and sudden explosions of violence, and emotional outbursts. However, we wish to add to this conceptualization by arguing that resistance also has the potential to be productive, plural and fluid, and integrated into everyday social life. The first major part of the article is devoted to discuss existing understandings of resistance with the aim of seeking to capture distinctive features and boundaries of this social phenomenon. Among other things, we will explore resistance in relation to other key concepts and related research fields. We then, in the article’s second major part, propose a number of analytical categories and possible entrances aiming at inspire more in-depth studies of resistance.

Journal of Civil Society, 2015

This article will show how a ‘new history’, inspired from longue durée approaches, can be methodo... more This article will show how a ‘new history’, inspired from longue durée approaches, can be methodologically applied, and how it equips us with analytical tools that improve our capacity to understand the long-term changes that fostered the civil society-based resistance in the Arab world- Although we cannot predict the exact timing of such resistance efforts, the application of the longue dure´e method provides us with tools that help us understand why and how the many uprisings transpired. This complements, and partly contrasts with, most previous research, which had its main focus on discussion of short-term factors that were claimed to have caused the Arab massmobilized resistance in 2010–2011. The article draws upon and intends to contribute to the theoretical debate on contentious politics within social movement research, resistance studies, and civil society-driven democratization research.

Security Dialogues, 2015

This article investigates the reasons behind the EU reservations and boycott towards the Palestin... more This article investigates the reasons behind the EU reservations and boycott towards the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. It examines how the EU ‘talked security’, in terms of framing the overall Israeli-Palestinian conflict (IPC). In this context, of particular interest is the reason behind the, EU decision to label Hamas as a terrorist organization (analysed in relation to the specific security construct). With regards to the EU multilateral dimension in the IPC, it is important to find out how the EU has worked (or has been forced/pushed by external actors) to form a security governance, as well as a multilateral strategy vis-à-vis Hamas, and what references have been made towards the multilateralism. Furthermore, this article explores the policies that have been created in relation to the EU securitization of the conflict, as well as the impact it had on the EU and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Security Dialogues, 2011

This study has examined Palestinians’ readiness to compromise over the key issues of the Israeli-... more This study has examined Palestinians’ readiness to compromise over the
key issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In contrast to existing opinion
poll results the claim that Palestinians support a territorial compromise over historical Palestine, this study indicates a radicalization of Palestinian attitudes.Four survey studies, conducted in 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2009, reveal that Palestinian support for a two-state solution have decreased at the expense of an increased preference for an Islamic state in the whole of historical Palestine. Also, Palestinians do not believe that peace with Israel can be achieved in the near future, and are ready to continue their struggle against Israeli occupation in the West Bank. The study also reveals that Palestinians are becoming increasingly isolated and hence less exposed to alternative strategies in the conflict with Israel. These attitudinal changes follow the negative developments in the peace process and the violence that erupted between Israelis and Palestinians in September 2000. Consequently, the lack of current public pressure on the Palestinian leadership to find a political compromise with Israel risks continued deadlock in the conflict. These changes also partly explain why Palestinians voted the Hamas movement into power in the January 2006 election.

... in Valeria Bello and Belachew Gebrewold (eds), A Global Security Triangle, European, Afri-can... more ... in Valeria Bello and Belachew Gebrewold (eds), A Global Security Triangle, European, Afri-can and Asian Interaction (routledge, 2009);'EU's conflict resolution intervention in the israeliPalestinian conflict', in Karin Aggestam and Annika Björkdahl (eds), War and Peace in ...

Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2020

London: Routledge, 2019

Journal of Political Power, 2023

Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies, 2022

Journal of Political Power, 2023

Third World Quarterly, 2020

Middle East Critique, 2020

Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies, 2020

Journal of Political Power, 2020

Journal of Political power, 2020

Security Dialogues, 2018

Journal of Political Power, 2017

Journal of Civil Society, 2015

Security Dialogues, 2015

Security Dialogues, 2011

Journal of Peace Education, 2008

in Björn Hettne, Andras Inotai and Osvaldo Sunkel (eds) Comparing Regionalisms: Implications for Global Development. Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 234-276, 2001

Taking up a major challenge given to us by the project leader, Björn Hettne, at the end of this r... more Taking up a major challenge given to us by the project leader, Björn Hettne, at the end of this research project, our undertaking in this chapter is threefold. The first objective is to briefly reflect and draw conclusions from the UNU/WIDER research project on how regionalization can be studied, conceptualized and understood. The second is to make a comparison of Asia, Africa and the Middle East with regard to the three agendas or ‘key issues’ of the UNU/WIDER research project on the New Regionalism: globalism versus regionalism, the dynamics of regionalization, and preferred outcomes of regionalization. This leads to the third objective, to suggest an inroad to a post-WIDER research agenda and a further consolidation of the main analytical framework used in the project, the New Regionalism Approach (NRA). The chapter is structured in three main parts, according to these three objectives.

Politeia, 1998

In the following article the potentials of Middle Eastern regionalism is discussed. Emphasis is p... more In the following article the potentials of Middle Eastern regionalism is discussed. Emphasis is placed on arguing for that the changes in the Middle East have fostered new options for regional cooperation. However, despite the initial changes towards deeper forms of regional co-operation provided by the peace process, conflicts and patterns of old enmity remain and have to be solved before further steps towards integration can be taken. However, on the larger macro-region, i.e. Israel and the Arab states, as well as a sub-region consisting of Israel, the Palestinian areas and Jordan, changes have taken place in the form of plans of free trade areas, customs unions, joint ventures and co-operation concerning for example economic development and security, that were unthinkable only a few years ago in a region used as show case for how power realism works. Currently, the Middle East could at best be described as being in a stage of emerging regional cooperation.

Journal of Political Power

Journal of Political Power, 2020

Third World Quarterly, 2021

Abstract The debate triggered by recent publications and research justifying colonialism demands ... more Abstract The debate triggered by recent publications and research justifying colonialism demands an intellectual engagement with the histories of colonialism, and their impact on postcolonial trajectories of development, peace and conflict. The argument that colonialism inspired development in societies that embraced its modernity project, enlightened governance and efficient administration – which in turn inspired national consciousness embedded in anti-colonial struggles – has been extensively critiqued. However, less attention has been paid to colonialism’s enduring everyday impact and visible continuities. We argue that the present political moment defined by right-wing, conservative and insular nationalisms and racisms – particularly in Western polities – requires deeper critique. It demands an intensive re-engagement with colonialism’s legacies, the politics of race and racism and the postcolonial (un)making of ‘selfhood’ and ‘nation-statehood’ evidenced in many parts of the world. This collection revisits the impact of colonialism on the postcolonial politics and decolonial developments in Africa; its focus is to reinvestigate the endurance and efficacy of the power relations devised and propagated by the European colonial projects and their continued presence in African states and societies.

Third World Quarterly, 2020

Abstract This article argues that decolonising educational undertakings is a difficult task, even... more Abstract This article argues that decolonising educational undertakings is a difficult task, even when the ambitions to apply decolonising approaches are clearly articulated. Our case analysis of two contemporary master’s in peace education programmes in Rwanda, that explicitly focus on reconciliation, shows evidence of limited capacity by the educators to decolonise them. We draw from semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, as well as text analysis of syllabuses, course guides, etc, and demonstrate that access for all societal groups to the programmes is restricted: the extent of decolonisation of the education itself, including alternative narratives of the conflict history as well as the conceptualisation of ethnic ‘identity’ within peace education, is still limited. These master of arts programmes thus preserve colonial legacies and contribute to maintain historical hierarchical relations between the Hutu and Tutsi groups in the country.

Journal of Political Power, 2020

ABSTRACT This article illustrates how official hegemonic narratives of armed conflicts and histor... more ABSTRACT This article illustrates how official hegemonic narratives of armed conflicts and history are resisted by academics by generating counter-narratives and how this affects the public perception of identity conflicts. Due to the relatively high status of academics, critical and alternative knowledge production serve as a tool for resistance against the mainstream narrative. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we discuss competing narratives, and how new narratives by various academics challenge the official narrative. In the case of Rwanda where the resistance is more clandestine, we demonstrate how the official narrative is challenged by academics and individuals based outside the country. In the case of Sri Lanka, we highlight how two dominant narratives, one by the government and the other by the rebels, competed with the counter-narratives. Overall, we demonstrate how counter-narratives construed to serve as a form of resistance are unfolding in various struggles, and how the gradual impact of academics’ agencies on changing hegemonic narratives finds a contextual definition.

La nanolithographie (série Électronique et microélectronique, EGEM) Alors que le nano-monde s&#x2... more La nanolithographie (série Électronique et microélectronique, EGEM) Alors que le nano-monde s'ouvre à nous, les chercheurs ont disposés ces dernières années d'un magnifique terrain de jeu pour mettre au point de nouvelles technologies destinées à façonner cet espace des ...

Security Dialogues /Безбедносни дијалози, 2015

This article investigates the reasons behind the EU reservations and boycott towards the Palestin... more This article investigates the reasons behind the EU reservations and boycott towards the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. It examines how the EU 'talked security', in terms of framing the overall Israeli-Palestinian conflict (IPC). In this context, of particular interest is the reason behind the, EU decision to label Hamas as a terrorist organization (analysed in relation to the specific security construct). With regards to the EU multilateral dimension in the IPC, it is important to find out how the EU has worked (or has been forced/pushed by external actors) to form a security governance, as well as a multilateral strategy vis-à-vis Hamas, and what references have been made towards the multilateralism. Furthermore, this article explores the policies that have been created in relation to the EU securitization of the conflict, as well as the impact it had on the EU and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Search: onr:"swepub:oai:services.scigloo.org:100440" > Security in the M... more Search: onr:"swepub:oai:services.scigloo.org:100440" > Security in the Mid... ... Schulz, Michael, 1960-(author) Göteborgs universitet, Institutionen för globala studier Swain, Ashok (author) Öjendal, Joakim, 1962-(author) Göteborgs universitet, Institutionen för globala ...

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 09662839 2010 531703, Sep 1, 2010

This article seeks to contribute to the underdeveloped discussion about the way we theorise and c... more This article seeks to contribute to the underdeveloped discussion about the way we theorise and conceptualise externally induced peace and security operations in regional conflict, with a particular focus on the EU's role. The framework draws on three theoretical components emphasised in this special issue: the construction of conflict, security governance, and the impact of EU security practices. The EU's construction of the conflict is tightly linked to decisions about the mode of security governance and here we need to pay more attention to the often-neglected relationship between the external intervening party and the parties in conflict that are subject to the intervention. Furthermore, the impact of peace operations are usually analysed in terms of implementation and coordination failures, and in our view it is necessary to step back and address the construction of the criteria by which interventions are assessed-in particular, the way intervening actors construct and define 'success and failure'.

4 "Region" refers here and in the rest of the paper to supra-national country groupings. 5 Despit... more 4 "Region" refers here and in the rest of the paper to supra-national country groupings. 5 Despite they do not provide a clear definit ion of regionalism, EC documents refer to "outward oriented" or "open" regionalis m that is a form of regional economic cooperation, primarily aiming at trade facilitat ion and liberalisation, compatible with the multilateral trad ing system.

This study has examined Palestinians’ readiness to compromise over the key issues of the Israeli-... more This study has examined Palestinians’ readiness to compromise over the key issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In contrast to existing opinion poll results that claim that Palestinians support a territorial compromise over historical Palestine, this study indicates a radicalization of Palestinian attitudes. Four survey studies, conducted in 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2009, reveal that Palestinian support for a two-state solution have decreased at the expense of an increased preference for an Islamic state in the whole of historical Palestine. Also, Palestinians do not believe that peace with Israel can be achieved in the near future, and are ready to continue their struggle against Israeli occupation in the West Bank. The study also reveals that Palestinians are becoming increasingly isolated and hence less exposed to alternative strategies in the conflict with Israel. These attitudinal changes follow the negative developments in the peace process and the violence that erupted bet...

In the 1990s, brand new Latin American governments embraced the structural reforms proposed by th... more In the 1990s, brand new Latin American governments embraced the structural reforms proposed by the Washington Consensus as if these were the only alternative to overcome their deep economic crises. In many instances, governments overreacted their ideological identification with the neo-liberal model. Under the leadership of Carlos Menem in Argentina and Fernando Collor de Mello in Brazil, Southern Cone countries adopted verbatim the Consensus recommendations on domestic policy-namely, privatization of state-run enterprises, state reengineering and deregulation, together with trade liberalization (Teichman, 2001). Nonetheless, foreign trade policy was somehow erratic. Although Mercosur countries continued to unilaterally reduce tariffs and implement para-tariff measures, and individually joined in multilateral trade rounds within the scope of the newly created World Trade Organization (WTO), they also settled a custom union emulating the European integration model, which was strongly criticized by the Washington Consensus for diverting trade. In fact, international financial institutions advocated trade multilateralization through the creation of free trade areas. The purpose of this paper is to provide some insights into this decision. In this regard, we intend to answer the following questions: Why did governments that identified themselves with the neo-liberal paradigm pursued integration models that were strongly criticized by

European Security, 2010

This article seeks to contribute to the underdeveloped discussion about the way we theorise and c... more This article seeks to contribute to the underdeveloped discussion about the way we theorise and conceptualise externally induced peace and security operations in regional conflict, with a particular focus on the EU's role. The framework draws on three theoretical components emphasised in this special issue: the construction of conflict, security governance and the impact of EU security practices. The EU's construction of the conflict is tightly linked to decisions about the mode of security governance and here we need to pay more attention to the often-neglected relationship between the external intervening party and the parties in conflict that are subject to the intervention. Furthermore, the impact of peace operations are usually analysed in terms of implementation and coordination failures, and in our view it is necessary to step back and address the construction of the criteria by which interventions are assessed – in particular, the way intervening actors construct and...

Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, 2009

Search: onr:"swepub:oai:services.scigloo.org:100440" > Security in the Mid... ... Sc... more Search: onr:"swepub:oai:services.scigloo.org:100440" > Security in the Mid... ... Schulz, Michael, 1960-(author) Göteborgs universitet, Institutionen för globala studier Swain, Ashok (author) Öjendal, Joakim, 1962-(author) Göteborgs universitet, Institutionen för globala ...