The Peace Continuum: What It Is and How to Study It. By Christian Davenport, Erik Melander, and Patrick M. Regan. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. 240p. 105.00cloth,105.00 cloth, 105.00cloth,29.95 paper (original) (raw)

2021, Perspectives on Politics

the assumptions underpinning practice. The problem, in his view, is that “the reader is not provided with much insight regarding what they should do with all of this variation.”My purpose, however, was to demonstrate that among scholars and practitioners there is neither a consensus with respect to the characteristics of peace nor, as a result, on how to measure peace. My purpose was not to navigate through this variation but rather to offer what I consider to be principles that should inform a sound navigation, which I do in chapter 5. Davenport’s second point concerns what he calls my “pivot” in chapter 4 to a statistical evaluation of peace duration, given what I argue elsewhere in the book about the limitations of a narrow conception of peace as the “mere” cessation of violence. “Why do this?” Davenport asks. For the simple reason that the nonrecurrence of violence is the sine qua non of peace, and it would seem to be important therefore to investigate the factors that contribut...

Empirics of Stable Peace

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, 2017

Much of the empirical international relations research implicitly equates peace with the absence of war. Moreover, causes of war are seen as sufficient for understanding peace. Such an approach turns peace into a nonevent. The stable peace literature has challenged this perspective in several ways. Firstly, peace is multilayered and additional dimensions are considered beyond violence. Secondly, it attempts to explain movements among different levels (or qualities) of peace. This study reviews the stable peace literature. It also considers alternate conceptualizations of peace. Findings from comparative case studies are considered next to those from the emerging quantitative literature that explicitly focuses on peace. Attention to internal peace and links between micro and macro levels of analysis are some of the areas highlighted as needing greater attention.

Peace - A short History of an Idea (full version)

Rorate-Verlag, 2021

Historical peace research evaluates social, political, economic etc. constellations in a specific historical context with regard to their potential for conflict or peace. As a 'peace ethics', it does so with the help of general moral criteria, e. g. justice, in order to arrive at judgments that are as consistent as possible. This makes it clear that peace is far more than just a political idea; peace is rather a moral (teleological) concept, formulating a (timeless) demand, which in turn can become itself the subject of political-practical reflection.

Presenting a New Definition of Peace.docx

Abstract Presenting a comprehensive definition is the starting point of a scientific investigation of any phenomenon. Deficiency in this relation has caused many problems in peace studies and peace building processes. This article will investigate and criticize the definitions presented about peace. Inspired by science of geography, I will try to present a new definition in order to help to fill this gap. The article argues that peace is a legal harmony and can be compartmentalized quantitatively and qualitatively into different types. It also emphasizes on education and law as cardinal tools in peace-building. Keywords: Geography; Peace Definition; Law; Education

Measuring Peace: Comparability, Commensurability, and Complementarity Using Bottom-Up Indicators

This article examines the possibilities of interaction and collaboration between top-down and bottom-up indicators of peace. It is based on the Everyday Peace Indicators project an experimental research project that operated in local communities in four sub-Saharan countries. The article begins by making the case for bottom-up approaches to the study of peace, conflict and security. It goes on to scope out the opportunities and obstacles for comparison between bottom-up and top-down indicator systems and looks at three issues: comparability, commensurability and complementarity. It draws on four well-know measurements of peace, conflict and development: the Human Development Index (HDI), the Global Peace Index, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program's Georeferenced Event Data (UCDP GED), and the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Program (ACLED). We argue for a plurality of vantage points from which to measure peace and conflict.

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