Conflict dynamics
Research at the Department related to the topic of conflict dynamics.
The Responsiveness of Rebel Governance
Project leader: Sebastian van Baalen
Why is rebel governance more responsive to the preferences of the civilian population in some areas that in others? This dissertation project explores the degree to which rebels are responsive to civilian preferences in civil war, focusing on their efforts to consult civilians and invest in civilian protection and welfare. The overarching theoretical framework focuses on the conditions under which civilians, and more specifically, local elites, successfully demand a greater say in rebel governance and greater investments in security and services. The main case of the dissertation is Côte d’Ivoire between 2002 and 2010. The project employs both qualitative (process tracing and structured focused comparison) and quantitative methods, including original data collected through fieldwork.
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Ceasefires and the dynamics of violence in war zones
Project leader: Corinne Bara
How do ceasefire agreements shape the trajectory of violence in civil war zones? Under what conditions do they stop the killing, and when do they open up new front lines and trigger shifts in the actors, forms, and locations of violence instead? In this project we create a global dataset of all ceasefires in civil wars between 1989 and 2020 to investigates these questions.
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The continuation of violence in postwar cities: mapping violence at the street level
Project leader: Emma Elfversson
The continuation of conflict-related violence from war to peace tends to be particularly concentrated in contested postwar cities. In order to understand the patterns and causes of continued violence in postwar cities, we need comparative data on how, when, and where such violence manifests. This project establishes a comprehensive large-N dataset on conflict-related violence in postwar cities where events are disaggregated at the street level. We use this novel data to analyse patterns and trends, and together with in-depth analysis of selected cases assess theoretical explanations for the variation in conflict-related violence within and across postwar cities.
Protest, Democratisation, and Escalation to Large-scale Political Violence
Project leader: Espen Geelmuyden Rød
Ending Atrocities: Third Party Interventions into Civil Wars
Project leader: Lisa Hultman
This project aims to explore the role of third parties in civil war, with a particular emphasis on evaluating a broad set of measures to end atrocities and violent conflicts with disastrous consequences for the civilian population.
Read more about the project "Ending atrocities: third party interventions into civil wars"
Conflicts, Connections, Complexities: Towards a Multi-layered Understanding of Civil War
Project Leader: Desirée Nilsson
Why and how do some state-based armed conflicts become inter-linked with other types of conflicts, and how does this influence the resolution of these conflicts? We will use quantitative and qualitative methods combined to address this pivotal research question. In particular, this project will provide key insights into the inter-linkages between state-based armed conflict and three forms of organised violence that commonly plague civil wars: 1) communal conflicts between ethno-linguistic groups; 2) conflicts between rebel actors, and 3) cross-border conflicts.
Resolving Jihadist Conflicts: Religion, Civil War, and Prospects for Peace
Project Leader: Isak Svensson
Crossing the Rubicon? The Dynamics of Restraint in Civil War
Project Leader: Johan Brosché
Read more about the project "Crossing the Rubicon? The Dynamics of Restraint in Civil War"