Conceptual Framework

Work Package Leaders:
Dr. Michalis Lianos – Université de Rouen
Prof. Mansoob Murshed – Institute of Social Studies

Publications:
pdf_icon RWP1: On the Links Between Violent Conflict and Household Poverty: How Much Do We Really Know?

pdf_icon RWP2: Reappraising the Greed and Grievance Explanations for Violent Internal Conflict

RWP44: Factors of Socio-economic Uncertainty in the Bosnian War - Gyöngyvér Demény

pdfRWP52: Conflict as Closure - Michalis Lianos

Overview

The work under this Work Package aims to develop an integrated conceptual framework for the understanding of micro level processes leading to and resulting from violent mass conflicts. The main objective (and key challenge) of this conceptual framework is to effectively guide and support the structure of research to be undertaken throughout MICROCON.

This activity is led by Michalis Lianos and Mansoob Murshed with close collaboration from each Work Package leader, in order to ensure its complete integration across the whole programme and across disciplines. This interaction ensures that MICROCON will have an impact greater than the sum of its various parts.

Key questions

The Framework will address five questions:

  • What does violent mass conflict mean at the micro level?
  • Who are the actors involved in violent mass conflicts?
  • Why do violent mass conflicts take place?
  • How do violent mass conflicts impact on individuals, their families and their social groups?
  • In which way can we build conceptual linkages between micro level perspectives on violent mass conflicts and policy-making processes?

The conceptual understanding of the What and Who questions will play an essential role in defining key empirical questions for which adequate instruments will be developed within the Data and Measurement Work Package. The Why and How questions will be addressed by the Work Packages under the heading ‘Research and Knowledge’.

Programme Integration

The main aim of this framework is to contribute to the work of the whole of MICROCON in order to shed light on the ‘critical dynamics’ necessary for the outbreak of violent conflict and ‘critical changes’ resulting from processes of mass violence. The work to be developed under the heading ‘Research and Knowledge’ will, in turn, provide detailed evidence-based analysis of these processes.

Finally, conceptual linkages between micro level processes and policy making actions will inform the research paths to be undertaken under the heading ‘Policy Linkages and Synthesis’. Research outcomes from these two policy-oriented Work Packages will feed back and will help define this important conceptual question (for instance, in terms of how European or international processes of peace negotiation impact on individuals). Complete linkages across our three main research headings will be brought together in two books at the end of the programme.