Violence & Security 2024-2025 Full Course
Summary
WEEK 1 - I CONCEPTS & APPROACHES
What is Direct violence (behaviours carried out by a clearly
political identifiable agent with the intent to inflict bodily harm)
violence? vs. structural violence (when humans systematically
cannot fulfil their physical and mental needs ⇒ e.g.
not having clean water).
Political violence: occurs in wartime (1000+ battle-
related deaths) and in times of "peace" (electoral
violence, ethnic riots).
Types of peace? - Negative peace: when direct violence is absent.
- Positive peace: attitudes, institutions and
structures that sustain peaceful societies.
Through what Actors (behaviours/motivations) / what leads to
lenses/paradi violence / what allows peace?
gms can we - Realism
analyse - Liberalism
political - Constructivism
violence? - Instrumentalism
- Institutionalism
Realism
> Actor: the state is the main actor.
> Nature of the state: It's a unitary/rational actor,
seeking to maximise own interest. Overarching goal:
national security.
> Understanding conflict:
International system: characterised by anarchy -> you
can never be sure of your security. Power (material
capabilities) is the means that can ensure security.
> How likely is war? Depends on the distribution of
power in the international system.
Liberalism
1
, > Actor: both state and non-state actors important.
> Nature of the state: aggregate of preferences of
wide-ranging actors.
> Understanding conflict:
Cooperation is possible ⇒ through mutual gains.
> How can we achieve order?
1) Economic interdependence and free trade; 2)
International institutions; 3) Democratic institutions.
Constructivism
> Actor: all socially constructed, both the actor and
the interests that drive them.
Because preferences are also socially constructed,
they can change.
> Understanding conflict/peace:
Appropriate action is determined by the content of
identities and interests (of political actors), which is
why norms are very important.
Instrumentalism
> Actor: elites determine whether there's conflict or
not, in favour of their interests (maximising political
power and material gains).
> Understanding conflict/peace: if elites believe
something can be gained from violence, they will
orchestrate the masses into carrying out violence.
Institutionalism
- How do institutional settings mediate political
struggle?
Davies, Findings
Petersson &
Oburg (2023) Number of fatalities in organised violence
(Organized increased sharply in 2022.
Violence 1989- Increase in one-sided violence compared to
2022, and the 2021 was minor, but highest number of fatalities
return of in this type of violence since 2014.
conflict Number of fatalities in non-state conflict
decreased slightly in 2022, the number of active
2
,between states) conflicts increased.
WEEK 1 - II VIOLENCE & STATE FORMATION
What is state The long-term processes leading to the centralisation
formation? of political power within a sovereign territory.
What is state The ability of states to accomplish their goals.
capacity? How can it be measured?
- State's military power
- Bureaucratic/administrative capacity (extractive
capacity)
> The ability to collect taxes is a good way to measure
the strength of the state, since people don't want to
pay this.
Is war
necessary for
the building
of strong
states?
Are war and
state formation
linked?
What is state War making ( ---- requires ---> ) extraction.
formation Extraction (------->) protection.
according to Extraction (------->) state building (------->) protection.
Tilly?
// The Bellicist Because extraction is so difficult, state's need to find a
Approach // way to do it better, thus they build institutions.
This increases bureaucratic capacity (knowing who is
in the territory, and how many resources are
available) and this builds a stronger state.
Tilly (1985) Monopolisation of the concentrated means of
(War Making violence/coercion by governments. Leading from
and State illegitimate violence to legitimate violence. Under the
Making as guise of providing protection.
Organized
3
, Crime)
Massive pacification and monopolisation of the means
of coercion.
Racketeer = someone who produces both the danger
and, at a price, the shield against it.
Noble act to protect? Not really: still comes from the
logic of expanding power.
Why is protection like a business?
- Selling of protection
- Tends to create a monopoly
- Integration of economies (taxes and regulation of
economic activity) into administrative/coercive
frameworks of the state.
4 different activities involved
1) War making (eliminate external rivals)
2) State making (eliminate internal rivals)
3) Protection
4) Extraction (of resources)
State making ⇒ Resource extraction ⇒ Monopolisation
of violence ⇒ Consolidate power.
Other factors that play a role in the process:
- Did people resist? Then more guarantees of
rights/representative institutions (which later
constrained war making capabilities).
- What was the balance between the four state
activities?
This is the European model.
How can the Two Level Game Theory During State Formation
Two Level Game 1. Creation of states through warfare forces states to
4
Summary
WEEK 1 - I CONCEPTS & APPROACHES
What is Direct violence (behaviours carried out by a clearly
political identifiable agent with the intent to inflict bodily harm)
violence? vs. structural violence (when humans systematically
cannot fulfil their physical and mental needs ⇒ e.g.
not having clean water).
Political violence: occurs in wartime (1000+ battle-
related deaths) and in times of "peace" (electoral
violence, ethnic riots).
Types of peace? - Negative peace: when direct violence is absent.
- Positive peace: attitudes, institutions and
structures that sustain peaceful societies.
Through what Actors (behaviours/motivations) / what leads to
lenses/paradi violence / what allows peace?
gms can we - Realism
analyse - Liberalism
political - Constructivism
violence? - Instrumentalism
- Institutionalism
Realism
> Actor: the state is the main actor.
> Nature of the state: It's a unitary/rational actor,
seeking to maximise own interest. Overarching goal:
national security.
> Understanding conflict:
International system: characterised by anarchy -> you
can never be sure of your security. Power (material
capabilities) is the means that can ensure security.
> How likely is war? Depends on the distribution of
power in the international system.
Liberalism
1
, > Actor: both state and non-state actors important.
> Nature of the state: aggregate of preferences of
wide-ranging actors.
> Understanding conflict:
Cooperation is possible ⇒ through mutual gains.
> How can we achieve order?
1) Economic interdependence and free trade; 2)
International institutions; 3) Democratic institutions.
Constructivism
> Actor: all socially constructed, both the actor and
the interests that drive them.
Because preferences are also socially constructed,
they can change.
> Understanding conflict/peace:
Appropriate action is determined by the content of
identities and interests (of political actors), which is
why norms are very important.
Instrumentalism
> Actor: elites determine whether there's conflict or
not, in favour of their interests (maximising political
power and material gains).
> Understanding conflict/peace: if elites believe
something can be gained from violence, they will
orchestrate the masses into carrying out violence.
Institutionalism
- How do institutional settings mediate political
struggle?
Davies, Findings
Petersson &
Oburg (2023) Number of fatalities in organised violence
(Organized increased sharply in 2022.
Violence 1989- Increase in one-sided violence compared to
2022, and the 2021 was minor, but highest number of fatalities
return of in this type of violence since 2014.
conflict Number of fatalities in non-state conflict
decreased slightly in 2022, the number of active
2
,between states) conflicts increased.
WEEK 1 - II VIOLENCE & STATE FORMATION
What is state The long-term processes leading to the centralisation
formation? of political power within a sovereign territory.
What is state The ability of states to accomplish their goals.
capacity? How can it be measured?
- State's military power
- Bureaucratic/administrative capacity (extractive
capacity)
> The ability to collect taxes is a good way to measure
the strength of the state, since people don't want to
pay this.
Is war
necessary for
the building
of strong
states?
Are war and
state formation
linked?
What is state War making ( ---- requires ---> ) extraction.
formation Extraction (------->) protection.
according to Extraction (------->) state building (------->) protection.
Tilly?
// The Bellicist Because extraction is so difficult, state's need to find a
Approach // way to do it better, thus they build institutions.
This increases bureaucratic capacity (knowing who is
in the territory, and how many resources are
available) and this builds a stronger state.
Tilly (1985) Monopolisation of the concentrated means of
(War Making violence/coercion by governments. Leading from
and State illegitimate violence to legitimate violence. Under the
Making as guise of providing protection.
Organized
3
, Crime)
Massive pacification and monopolisation of the means
of coercion.
Racketeer = someone who produces both the danger
and, at a price, the shield against it.
Noble act to protect? Not really: still comes from the
logic of expanding power.
Why is protection like a business?
- Selling of protection
- Tends to create a monopoly
- Integration of economies (taxes and regulation of
economic activity) into administrative/coercive
frameworks of the state.
4 different activities involved
1) War making (eliminate external rivals)
2) State making (eliminate internal rivals)
3) Protection
4) Extraction (of resources)
State making ⇒ Resource extraction ⇒ Monopolisation
of violence ⇒ Consolidate power.
Other factors that play a role in the process:
- Did people resist? Then more guarantees of
rights/representative institutions (which later
constrained war making capabilities).
- What was the balance between the four state
activities?
This is the European model.
How can the Two Level Game Theory During State Formation
Two Level Game 1. Creation of states through warfare forces states to
4
