• Security concepts

Security concepts

This review discusses the importance of empirical research in conflict situations. The goal of the review is to map existing research to identify findings on policy and practice for conflict, conflict prevention and conflict resolution, as well as clarifying issues for a future research agenda. The report argues that empirical research is crucial for both policy and practice.

The fist section of the paper argues that conflict is a social space, which implies that research into conflict should employ micro-level empirical research. This requires researchers to look at the similarities and differences between different actors including elite networks, armed groups and households.

The next section outlines what is known about armed groups, elite networks and households and highlights the following:

• a discussion of the various reasons as to why armed groups fight, including a review of the greed-grievance debate, the concept of failed states, the role of youth and the categorization of armed groups
• the role of elite networks in exerting economic control (commodity and arms trading) as well as social and political power
• the general lack of knowledge on households in conflict

The report concludes that research has an important role to play in policy and practice. It concludes with the following observations:

• researchers have a key role to play in mapping the multiple actors involved in the conflict
• policy-makers should expect change: policy needs to adapt along with the adaptations of actors
• it is important to understand the particular social and political environment in order to ensure that good intentions do not lead to bad outcomes
• researchers need to question the dominant assumptions of conflict theory such as economic motives and the concept of failed states
• policy-makers must recognise the role of data collection in conflict and post-conflict situations to ensure appropriate policy responses
  
  

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