Causes of conflict
Research at the Department related to the topic of causes of conflict.
What are They Fighting for? Conflict Issues and the Resolution of Civil War
Project leader: Johan Brosché
What are the issues that parties fight civil wars over? How do the issues at stake influence the possibilities of conflict resolution? This project’s purpose is to delve deeper into the question of conflict issues in civil wars. To do this we will (1) create a theoretically derived and empirically validated typology of conflict issues (2) based on the typology, create and disseminate a global dataset on conflict issues, and, (3) use these theoretical and empirical insights to examine – qualitatively and quantitatively – how the question of conflict issues affect possibilities for conflict resolution.
The Urban Dilemma: Urbanisation and ethnocommunal conflict
Project leader: Emma Elfversson
Urbanisation simultaneously holds a strong potential for progress and democracy-enhancement, and for destructive and violence-inducing dynamics, a fact encapsulated in the notion of an “urban dilemma”. This project seeks to advance knowledge on why urbanisation brings with it intensified ethnic grievances and increasing levels of inter-group violence in the cities in some cases, but not in others, combining quantitative methods with in-depth field research in Addis Abeba, Kampala, and Nairobi.
- Camille Pellerin & Dalaya Ashenafi, 2022. Unpacking the Addis Ababan exceptionalism: Living and making sense of violent protests in Ethiopia’s capital. Urban Forum, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-022-09469-5
Read more about the project "The urban dilemma: urbanisation and ethnocommunal conflict"
The Institutional Roots of Electoral Violence
Project leader: Kristine Höglund
How is the risk of election-induced violence influenced by institutional developments before, during and after the transition from authoritarian to democratic rule? This project advances the knowledge about electoral violence and its institutional roots by combining qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Read more about the project "The institutional roots of electoral violence"
Vulnerable Cities: Conflict Prevention in Urban Planning, Urban Regeneration & Urban Governance
Project contact: Kristine Höglund
This project seeks to deepen our understanding of urban violence and its links to armed conflict. It will analyse various conflict preventive strategies used in vulnerable cities and assess whether they can prevent the outbreak of armed conflict. The project will focus on four vulnerable cities: Nairobi (Kenya), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Jerusalem (Israel/Palestine) and Mitrovica (Kosovo).