Ivan Gusic | Lund University (original) (raw)
Papers by Ivan Gusic
Postwar cities demonstrate the most persistent continuities of war in peace. This effectively for... more Postwar cities demonstrate the most persistent continuities of war in peace. This effectively forces people into divided and politicised lives, undermines city-wide urban dynamics, and hampers wider peace processes that these cities are part of. It, however, also goes against what can be and historically is expected of the city – namely to transcend divides, bridge communities, and foster co-existence. This thesis asks the question of how it is so that continuities of war in peace are reinforced rather than transcended in the postwar city. To this end it uses extensive fieldwork in the postwar cities Belfast (Northern Ireland), Mitrovica (Kosovo), and Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) as well as engages in novel theorising on the postwar city and the urban conflicts over peace(s) that permeate it. The ensuing argument is that the continuities of war in peace in the postwar city are reinforced rather than transcended for two mutually enhancing reasons. On the one hand, because urban confli...
Political Geography, 2019
Abstract The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of... more Abstract The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of any given postwar entity remains contested and an unchallenged peace has still to be reached – is inherently spatial. This spatiality, however, has yet be fully addressed in theoretical and analytical terms, meaning that we neither understand it in its entirety nor have the tools with which to explore it thoroughly. This gap in existing research – found in both peace research and political geography – is the focus of this paper as I ask: how can the spatiality of the postwar condition be understood and studied? Using the concept of ‘relational space’ (Massey 2005, p. 61), I argue that the postwar condition is relational in its spatiality and that it should be studied through its material, perceived, and lived dimensions. The relational spatiality of the postwar condition means that the postwar society both produces and is produced by the postwar spaces in which it happens, in a ‘socio-spatial dialectic’ where the two are mutually constitutive (Soja 2010, p. 4). This paper thereby contributes to the “spatial turn” in peace research by theorising more thoroughly the postwar condition as relational in its spatiality as well as by developing an analytical framework able to explore this spatiality. It also brings the “peace turn” in political geography closer to peace research by suggesting how it can advance the research front on the spatiality of the postwar condition. It finally generates much needed insights on space in the postwar city of Mitrovica (Kosovo).
Journal of International Relations and Development, 2015
This article explores how the ‘liberal democratic peace package’ is received in post-conflict spa... more This article explores how the ‘liberal democratic peace package’ is received in post-conflict spaces. As such, it is part of a critical peace research agenda that raises critical questions concerning the quality of peace in many post-conflict societies. A close reading of the peace-building process in post-conflict Kosovo provides the backdrop for the theoretical discussion that identifies friction in norm diffusion processes and the different agencies that are generated through encounters between global norms and local practices. We unpack the interplay between the ‘global’ and the ‘local’ in peacebuilding and, through the lens of friction, we reveal the diverse and unequal encounters that produce new power relations. By foregrounding agency, we theorise different agentive subjects in the post-conflict setting, and map local agency from various segments of society that may localise, co-opt or reject global norms pertaining to the liberal democratic peace.
Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal, 2019
The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for... more The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for sustainable development. Cities emerging from war are no exception, but across the globe, many postwar cities are ravaged by residual or renewed violence, which threatens progress towards peace and stability. This collection of articles addresses why such violence happens, where and how it manifests, and how it can be prevented. It includes contributions that are informed by both postwar logics and urban particularities, that take intra-city dynamics into account, and that adopt a spatial analysis of the city. By bringing together contributions from different disciplinary backgrounds, all addressing the single issue of postwar violence in cities from a spatial perspective, the articles make a threefold contribution to the research agenda on violence in postwar cities. First, the articles nuance our understanding of the causes and forms of the uneven spatial distribution of violence, insecurities, and trauma within and across postwar cities. Second, the articles demonstrate how urban planning and the built environment shape and generate different forms of violence in postwar cities. Third, the articles explore the challenges, opportunities, and potential unintended consequences of conflict resolution in violent urban settings.
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies
This chapter theorises the postwar city in order to enable its study. It first theorises the post... more This chapter theorises the postwar city in order to enable its study. It first theorises the postwar as not the given and linear transition from war to a universal and objective peace, but rather as permeated by conflicts over peace(s) in which heterogeneous and subjective peace(s) strive to socio-politically order society in diametrically different ways. The city is then theorised as constituted by heterogeneity, density, openness and permeability, and centrality within its wider socio-political context while functioning through mixing, conflict, accommodation, creativity, and fragmentation. This unique combination makes it a research object—in the sense that it affects the nature of whatever research foci might be of interest—as well as gives it potential to both transcend and reinforce continuities of war in peace. The postwar city is subsequently theorised as a city where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of society remains contested through urban conflicts over peace...
This chapter employs relational space on postwar Belfast (Northern Ireland) to understand the rol... more This chapter employs relational space on postwar Belfast (Northern Ireland) to understand the role of space in its urban conflicts over peace(s). The focus is both on how society produces and how it is produced by space in its material, perceived, and lived dimensions. The first line of analysis explores how Belfast’s seemingly given ethnonational geography is not “just there”, but—in contrast—is actively produced by those supporting the Catholic and Protestant ethnonational peace(s). This production happens through everything from erecting flags and painting murals to spreading fear of “the other” or clustering into “our/their” residential areas. The second line of analysis explores how Belfast’s built environment—e.g. its peacewalls and defensive architecture, its houses and roads, and its city centre—“talks back” to society by actively producing ethnonational and socioeconomic divisions that in turn support the ethnonational and normalising peace(s) whilst undermining the coexist...
This chapter first argues that urban conflicts over peace(s) in the postwar city should be studie... more This chapter first argues that urban conflicts over peace(s) in the postwar city should be studied through the acts, governing, and spaces underpinning them. It then theorises negotiating agency, governmentality, and relational space as concepts apt for analysing these dimensions. Negotiating agency sees acts are the result of open-ended and constantly on-going negotiations between the subject and the world in which it exists. The key to understanding acts therefore lies neither in the subject nor the world, but in the negotiation between the two underpinning the act itself. Governmentality understands governing as about structuring the field of possible acts for collectives—effectively meaning that anything making collectives choose A instead of B is considered governing. Relational space in turn builds on the notion that space is neither given nor passive to but rather both produced by and productive of society. The chapter ends with some notes on research design.
Postwar cities, where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of society remains contested, ... more Postwar cities, where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of society remains contested, tend to be highly unstable flashpoints in war-to-peace transitions as well as where the starkest continuities of war in peace are located. This often makes them unsafe and problematic for citizens to live in, dysfunctional as cities, and Gordian knots of wider peace processes. Here the principal research problem of this book emerges. “The city” is namely often theorised and historically proven to have great potential to transcend societal divides, bridge communities, and foster coexistence. “The postwar city”, however, fulfils little to none of this potential. This book takes departure from this unfulfilled potential and focuses on why the continuities of war in peace are reinforced rather than transcended in the postwar city. This chapter introduces and contextualises the principal research problem that the postwar city constitutes and provides an outline of the book.
This chapter employs negotiating agency on postwar Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) to understand acts... more This chapter employs negotiating agency on postwar Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) to understand acts come about in its urban conflicts over peace(s). The first line of analysis uses a feature film about the city to explore the negotiation between Slavko (who wants to act in line with the coexisting peace) and a world that enforces the ethnonational—Bosniak and Croat—peace(s). The generated insights on how difficult it to pursue coexisting acts in an ethnonationalist world are then contextualised in non-fiction Mostar where two foci emerge: compliance with as well as resistance towards the ethnonational peace(s) by people supporting the coexisting one. The second line of analysis subsequently explores how the ethnonational grip on employment and the segregated education system drives people towards ethnonational acts while the third line of analysis explores how students at the Old Gymnasium as well as activists at Abrasevic manage to negotiate coexisting acts.
This chapter employs governmentality on postwar Mitrovica (Kosovo) to understand how different go... more This chapter employs governmentality on postwar Mitrovica (Kosovo) to understand how different governing attempts structure the field of possible acts for collectives in its urban conflicts over peace(s). The first line of analysis explores how Belgrade uses its parallel institutions—which encompass everything from healthcare and education to undercover police and criminal networks—to enable, encourage, and pressure Serbs to resist integration into Kosovo in line with the Serb ethnonational peace. The second line of analyses explores how fear governs people on both sides of Mitrovica’s Ibar river into ethnonational division—according to both the Albanian and Serb ethnonational peace(s)—where “the other” is avoided and “our side” (of the city) is protected. The third line of analyses lastly explores the inability of external governing attempts to govern Albanians and Serbs towards coexistence, showing how it is either inefficient or even counterproductive.
Contesting Peace in the Postwar City
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies, 2020
Third World Thematics, 2019
The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for... more The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for sustainable development. Cities emerging from war are no exception, but across the globe, many post-war cities are ravaged by residual or renewed violence, which threatens progress towards peace and stability. This collection of articles addresses why such violence happens, where and how it manifests, and how it can be prevented. It includes contributions that are informed by both post-war logics and urban particularities, that take intra-city dynamics into account, and that adopt a spatial analysis of the city. By bringing together contributions from different disciplinary backgrounds, all addressing the single issue of post-war violence in cities from a spatial perspective, the articles make a threefold contribution to the research agenda on violence in post-war cities. First, the articles nuance our understanding of the causes and forms of the uneven spatial distribution of violence, insecurities, and trauma within and across post-war cities. Second, the articles demonstrate how urban planning and the built environment shape and generate different forms of violence in post-war cities. Third, the articles explore the challenges, opportunities, and potential unintended consequences of conflict resolution in violent urban settings.
Political Geography, 2019
The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of any give... more The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of any given postwar entity remains contested and an unchallenged peace has still to be reached – is inherently spatial. This spatiality, however, has yet be fully addressed in theoretical and analytical terms, meaning that we neither understand it in its entirety nor have the tools with which to explore it thoroughly. This gap in existing research – found in both peace research and political geography – is the focus of this paper as I ask: how can the spatiality of the postwar condition be understood and studied? Using the concept of ‘relational space’ (Massey 2005, p. 61), I argue that the postwar condition is relational in its spatiality and that it should be studied through its material, perceived, and lived dimensions. The relational spatiality of the postwar condition means that the postwar society both produces and is produced by the postwar spaces in which it happens, in a ‘socio-spatial dialectic’ where the two are mutually constitutive (Soja 2010, p. 4). This paper thereby contributes to the “spatial turn” in peace research by theorising more thoroughly the postwar condition as relational in its spatiality as well as by developing an analytical framework able to explore this spatiality. It also brings the “peace turn” in political geography closer to peace research by suggesting how it can advance the research front on the spatiality of the postwar condition. It finally generates much needed insights on space in the postwar city of Mitrovica (Kosovo).
Postwar cities demonstrate the most persistent continuities of war in peace. This effectively for... more Postwar cities demonstrate the most persistent continuities of war in peace. This effectively forces people into divided and politicised lives, undermines city-wide urban dynamics, and hampers wider peace processes that these cities are part of. It, however, also goes against what can be and historically is expected of the city – namely to transcend divides, bridge communities, and foster co-existence. This thesis asks the question of how it is so that continuities of war in peace are reinforced rather than transcended in the postwar city. To this end it uses extensive fieldwork in the postwar cities Belfast (Northern Ireland), Mitrovica (Kosovo), and Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) as well as engages in novel theorising on the postwar city and the urban conflicts over peace(s) that permeate it. The ensuing argument is that the continuities of war in peace in the postwar city are reinforced rather than transcended for two mutually enhancing reasons. On the one hand, because urban confli...
Political Geography, 2019
Abstract The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of... more Abstract The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of any given postwar entity remains contested and an unchallenged peace has still to be reached – is inherently spatial. This spatiality, however, has yet be fully addressed in theoretical and analytical terms, meaning that we neither understand it in its entirety nor have the tools with which to explore it thoroughly. This gap in existing research – found in both peace research and political geography – is the focus of this paper as I ask: how can the spatiality of the postwar condition be understood and studied? Using the concept of ‘relational space’ (Massey 2005, p. 61), I argue that the postwar condition is relational in its spatiality and that it should be studied through its material, perceived, and lived dimensions. The relational spatiality of the postwar condition means that the postwar society both produces and is produced by the postwar spaces in which it happens, in a ‘socio-spatial dialectic’ where the two are mutually constitutive (Soja 2010, p. 4). This paper thereby contributes to the “spatial turn” in peace research by theorising more thoroughly the postwar condition as relational in its spatiality as well as by developing an analytical framework able to explore this spatiality. It also brings the “peace turn” in political geography closer to peace research by suggesting how it can advance the research front on the spatiality of the postwar condition. It finally generates much needed insights on space in the postwar city of Mitrovica (Kosovo).
Journal of International Relations and Development, 2015
This article explores how the ‘liberal democratic peace package’ is received in post-conflict spa... more This article explores how the ‘liberal democratic peace package’ is received in post-conflict spaces. As such, it is part of a critical peace research agenda that raises critical questions concerning the quality of peace in many post-conflict societies. A close reading of the peace-building process in post-conflict Kosovo provides the backdrop for the theoretical discussion that identifies friction in norm diffusion processes and the different agencies that are generated through encounters between global norms and local practices. We unpack the interplay between the ‘global’ and the ‘local’ in peacebuilding and, through the lens of friction, we reveal the diverse and unequal encounters that produce new power relations. By foregrounding agency, we theorise different agentive subjects in the post-conflict setting, and map local agency from various segments of society that may localise, co-opt or reject global norms pertaining to the liberal democratic peace.
Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal, 2019
The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for... more The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for sustainable development. Cities emerging from war are no exception, but across the globe, many postwar cities are ravaged by residual or renewed violence, which threatens progress towards peace and stability. This collection of articles addresses why such violence happens, where and how it manifests, and how it can be prevented. It includes contributions that are informed by both postwar logics and urban particularities, that take intra-city dynamics into account, and that adopt a spatial analysis of the city. By bringing together contributions from different disciplinary backgrounds, all addressing the single issue of postwar violence in cities from a spatial perspective, the articles make a threefold contribution to the research agenda on violence in postwar cities. First, the articles nuance our understanding of the causes and forms of the uneven spatial distribution of violence, insecurities, and trauma within and across postwar cities. Second, the articles demonstrate how urban planning and the built environment shape and generate different forms of violence in postwar cities. Third, the articles explore the challenges, opportunities, and potential unintended consequences of conflict resolution in violent urban settings.
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies
This chapter theorises the postwar city in order to enable its study. It first theorises the post... more This chapter theorises the postwar city in order to enable its study. It first theorises the postwar as not the given and linear transition from war to a universal and objective peace, but rather as permeated by conflicts over peace(s) in which heterogeneous and subjective peace(s) strive to socio-politically order society in diametrically different ways. The city is then theorised as constituted by heterogeneity, density, openness and permeability, and centrality within its wider socio-political context while functioning through mixing, conflict, accommodation, creativity, and fragmentation. This unique combination makes it a research object—in the sense that it affects the nature of whatever research foci might be of interest—as well as gives it potential to both transcend and reinforce continuities of war in peace. The postwar city is subsequently theorised as a city where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of society remains contested through urban conflicts over peace...
This chapter employs relational space on postwar Belfast (Northern Ireland) to understand the rol... more This chapter employs relational space on postwar Belfast (Northern Ireland) to understand the role of space in its urban conflicts over peace(s). The focus is both on how society produces and how it is produced by space in its material, perceived, and lived dimensions. The first line of analysis explores how Belfast’s seemingly given ethnonational geography is not “just there”, but—in contrast—is actively produced by those supporting the Catholic and Protestant ethnonational peace(s). This production happens through everything from erecting flags and painting murals to spreading fear of “the other” or clustering into “our/their” residential areas. The second line of analysis explores how Belfast’s built environment—e.g. its peacewalls and defensive architecture, its houses and roads, and its city centre—“talks back” to society by actively producing ethnonational and socioeconomic divisions that in turn support the ethnonational and normalising peace(s) whilst undermining the coexist...
This chapter first argues that urban conflicts over peace(s) in the postwar city should be studie... more This chapter first argues that urban conflicts over peace(s) in the postwar city should be studied through the acts, governing, and spaces underpinning them. It then theorises negotiating agency, governmentality, and relational space as concepts apt for analysing these dimensions. Negotiating agency sees acts are the result of open-ended and constantly on-going negotiations between the subject and the world in which it exists. The key to understanding acts therefore lies neither in the subject nor the world, but in the negotiation between the two underpinning the act itself. Governmentality understands governing as about structuring the field of possible acts for collectives—effectively meaning that anything making collectives choose A instead of B is considered governing. Relational space in turn builds on the notion that space is neither given nor passive to but rather both produced by and productive of society. The chapter ends with some notes on research design.
Postwar cities, where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of society remains contested, ... more Postwar cities, where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of society remains contested, tend to be highly unstable flashpoints in war-to-peace transitions as well as where the starkest continuities of war in peace are located. This often makes them unsafe and problematic for citizens to live in, dysfunctional as cities, and Gordian knots of wider peace processes. Here the principal research problem of this book emerges. “The city” is namely often theorised and historically proven to have great potential to transcend societal divides, bridge communities, and foster coexistence. “The postwar city”, however, fulfils little to none of this potential. This book takes departure from this unfulfilled potential and focuses on why the continuities of war in peace are reinforced rather than transcended in the postwar city. This chapter introduces and contextualises the principal research problem that the postwar city constitutes and provides an outline of the book.
This chapter employs negotiating agency on postwar Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) to understand acts... more This chapter employs negotiating agency on postwar Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) to understand acts come about in its urban conflicts over peace(s). The first line of analysis uses a feature film about the city to explore the negotiation between Slavko (who wants to act in line with the coexisting peace) and a world that enforces the ethnonational—Bosniak and Croat—peace(s). The generated insights on how difficult it to pursue coexisting acts in an ethnonationalist world are then contextualised in non-fiction Mostar where two foci emerge: compliance with as well as resistance towards the ethnonational peace(s) by people supporting the coexisting one. The second line of analysis subsequently explores how the ethnonational grip on employment and the segregated education system drives people towards ethnonational acts while the third line of analysis explores how students at the Old Gymnasium as well as activists at Abrasevic manage to negotiate coexisting acts.
This chapter employs governmentality on postwar Mitrovica (Kosovo) to understand how different go... more This chapter employs governmentality on postwar Mitrovica (Kosovo) to understand how different governing attempts structure the field of possible acts for collectives in its urban conflicts over peace(s). The first line of analysis explores how Belgrade uses its parallel institutions—which encompass everything from healthcare and education to undercover police and criminal networks—to enable, encourage, and pressure Serbs to resist integration into Kosovo in line with the Serb ethnonational peace. The second line of analyses explores how fear governs people on both sides of Mitrovica’s Ibar river into ethnonational division—according to both the Albanian and Serb ethnonational peace(s)—where “the other” is avoided and “our side” (of the city) is protected. The third line of analyses lastly explores the inability of external governing attempts to govern Albanians and Serbs towards coexistence, showing how it is either inefficient or even counterproductive.
Contesting Peace in the Postwar City
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies, 2020
Third World Thematics, 2019
The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for... more The world is urbanising rapidly and cities are increasingly held as the most important arenas for sustainable development. Cities emerging from war are no exception, but across the globe, many post-war cities are ravaged by residual or renewed violence, which threatens progress towards peace and stability. This collection of articles addresses why such violence happens, where and how it manifests, and how it can be prevented. It includes contributions that are informed by both post-war logics and urban particularities, that take intra-city dynamics into account, and that adopt a spatial analysis of the city. By bringing together contributions from different disciplinary backgrounds, all addressing the single issue of post-war violence in cities from a spatial perspective, the articles make a threefold contribution to the research agenda on violence in post-war cities. First, the articles nuance our understanding of the causes and forms of the uneven spatial distribution of violence, insecurities, and trauma within and across post-war cities. Second, the articles demonstrate how urban planning and the built environment shape and generate different forms of violence in post-war cities. Third, the articles explore the challenges, opportunities, and potential unintended consequences of conflict resolution in violent urban settings.
Political Geography, 2019
The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of any give... more The postwar condition – the period where war is over yet the socio-political ordering of any given postwar entity remains contested and an unchallenged peace has still to be reached – is inherently spatial. This spatiality, however, has yet be fully addressed in theoretical and analytical terms, meaning that we neither understand it in its entirety nor have the tools with which to explore it thoroughly. This gap in existing research – found in both peace research and political geography – is the focus of this paper as I ask: how can the spatiality of the postwar condition be understood and studied? Using the concept of ‘relational space’ (Massey 2005, p. 61), I argue that the postwar condition is relational in its spatiality and that it should be studied through its material, perceived, and lived dimensions. The relational spatiality of the postwar condition means that the postwar society both produces and is produced by the postwar spaces in which it happens, in a ‘socio-spatial dialectic’ where the two are mutually constitutive (Soja 2010, p. 4). This paper thereby contributes to the “spatial turn” in peace research by theorising more thoroughly the postwar condition as relational in its spatiality as well as by developing an analytical framework able to explore this spatiality. It also brings the “peace turn” in political geography closer to peace research by suggesting how it can advance the research front on the spatiality of the postwar condition. It finally generates much needed insights on space in the postwar city of Mitrovica (Kosovo).
Postwar cities demonstrate the most persistent continuities of war in peace. This effectively for... more Postwar cities demonstrate the most persistent continuities of war in peace. This effectively forces people into divided and politicised lives, undermines city-wide urban dynamics, and hampers wider peace processes that these cities are part of. It, however, also goes against what can be and historically is expected of the city – namely to transcend divides, bridge communities, and foster coexistence. This thesis asks the question of how it is so that continuities of war in peace are reinforced rather than transcended in the postwar city. To this end it uses extensive fieldwork in the postwar cities Belfast (Northern Ireland), Mitrovica (Kosovo), and Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) as well as engages in novel theorising on the postwar city and the urban conflicts over peace(s) that permeate it. The ensuing argument is that the continuities of war in peace in the postwar city are reinforced rather than transcended for two mutually enhancing reasons. On the one hand, because urban conflicts over peace(s) undermine the defining aspects of the city that give it transcending potential while reinforcing the defining aspects of the city with destructive potential. On the other hand, because the postwar city as a city reinforces the urban conflicts over peace(s) that in turn undermine its transcending and reinforce its destructive potential.
Urban Peace and Conflict – Exploring Geographies of Hope and Despair in Violently Contested Cities, 2020
Urban Peace and Conflict – Exploring Geographies of Hope and Despair in Violently Contested Citie... more Urban Peace and Conflict – Exploring Geographies of Hope and Despair in Violently Contested Cities
Guest editors:
Dr. Emma Elfversson, Department of Peace & Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden
Dr. Ivan Gusic, Department of Global Political Studies, Malmö University, Sweden
Dr. Jonathan Rokem Rock, School of Anthropology & Conservation, University of Kent, UK
This is a call for papers for a special issue on the topic of Urban peace and conflict – exploring geographies of hope and despair in violently contested cities. We invite contributions that theorise and explore where, how, when, and why urban conflict manifests itself as well as contributions that theorise and explore strategies and mechanisms that break dynamics of violence, oppression, and marginalisation, lead to urban coexistence, and generate peaceful relations in cities.