Florian Kühn

In this lecture, we look at how international peace missions, the politics of peace building and interventionism can be analysed from a sociological perspective. After all, political decisions are not just happening but are taken by people who have a certain social and intellectual background, and follow a reasoning when making decisions. With this sociological analysis comes a certain understanding and framing of the problem.

Questions to consider:

Who are the peacekeepers?

How can we describe the intellectual and normative ethos of peacekeeping personnel?

Which hierarchies are assumed in mandates and practices of the international politics of peace?

Mandatory reading:

Goetze, Catherine (2017). The distinction of peace: a social analysis of peacebuilding, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. pp. 67-103.

Additional reading:

Heathershaw, John (2016). "Who are the ‘international community’? Development professionals and liminal subjectivity", Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 10:1, 77-96, DOI: 10.1080/17502977.2015.1137395