Knowra Peace and conflict studies Peace and conflict studies Peace and conflict studies is an interdisciplinary field examining the causes and dynamics of violence, ways to prevent or resolve conflict, and conditions for lasting peace.
Negative peace : A condition in which direct violence is absent, even if injustice or structural violence persists. It distinguishes a halt in fighting from deeper social transformation.
Conflict analysis : A systematic examination of conflict actors, causes, dynamics, and possible responses. It helps identify which forces are driving a particular conflict and where intervention may matter.
Peacebuilding : Efforts to establish institutions, relationships, and conditions that reduce the risk of renewed violence. It turns conflict research into long-term work on the causes and recurrence of violence.
Johan Galtung : A Norwegian sociologist who founded the Peace Research Institute Oslo and developed influential concepts of structural violence and positive peace. His framework shaped the field’s vocabulary for distinguishing forms of violence and peace.
International relations : The study of interactions among states, international organizations, and other actors across national borders. It overlaps on war and diplomacy but often centers relations among political units.
Positive peace : A condition marked by social arrangements that reduce violence and support justice, inclusion, and human flourishing. It names the broader goal beyond simply stopping armed violence.
Early warning system : A system that monitors indicators of emerging danger to support timely preventive action. It connects knowledge of escalation risks to action before violence intensifies.
Transitional justice : Legal and non-legal measures addressing abuses committed during periods of conflict or authoritarian rule. It confronts accountability and repair while societies move away from violence.
Kenneth Boulding : An English economist and peace researcher who helped establish peace research as an interdisciplinary enterprise. His work connected conflict research with systems thinking and the study of social change.
Security studies : The study of threats to security, including their sources, management, and consequences. It shares concern with violence while often foregrounding threats and security institutions.
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