Introduction
Conceptualising Violence -Johan Galtung
direct violence: behaviours carried out by a clearly identifiable agent with the intent to inflict bodily
harm
structural violence: when humans systematically cannot fulfil their physical and mental potential, →
does not require intent nor a clear agent (e.g. there is a solution to prevent harm but it is not
implemented)
Conceptualising Peace - Galtung
negative peace: the absence of direct violence
positive peace: self-sustaining condition that protects the human security of a population
Recent trends in violence and security (UCDP)
→ For most of the 20th century, civil wars were the dominant conflict, with a spike in the 1990s
and more recently Syria.
→ War is comparatively quite rare and only recently we have seen
more intrastate war (Russia-Ukraine)
Pettersson- Organized Violence
organized violence increasingly prevalent form since the end of the Cold War in 1989.
four main types of organized violence:
insurgencies,
communal conflicts,
organised crime-related violence,
and state repression.
The Syrian conflict: multiple actors with different motivations and strategies are involved.
importance of understanding the dynamics of organized violence in terms of the interaction between
state and non-state actors.
highlight role of external actors: neighboring states or international organizations → influencing
trajectory of organized violence.
often linked to other forms of political violence, such as terrorism, and that addressing the root causes
of organized violence requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond military means.
understanding the drivers and dynamics of organized violence is key for prevention
Paradigms - Thomas Kuhn
filters through which we see the world
Introduction 1
, importance of paradigms: assumptions about most important actors + their behaviours and
motivations + what leads to war and violence + what allows for peace and security
Introduction 2
, State Formation and Violence
Key Concepts
state: the organisation that has a monopoly over the legitimate use of physical
force within a given territory in the enforcement of its order (weber)
State formation: the long-term processes leading to the centralisation of political
power within a sovereign territory
State capacity: the ability of states to accomplish goals often measured by military
power and its administrative (tax) capacity→ indicator for state strength (enforcing
something that is against individual´s will)
The Bellicist Approach to State Formation (Tilly)
war produces state with stronger military ad stronger institutions to extract from society because need
the money
go to war because more capital/ power
war requires extraction, extraction requires state building → stronger bureaucracy→ stronger
protection (more alliances with e.g. capitalists)→ this is the origin of the state
institution purpose is to know the population to know how to extract resources
Reading notes : Charles Tilly- War Making+ State Making
legitimacy= authorities will respect your decisions
war and state making = organised crime through legitimacy
struggle of indirect power rule by European forces abroad in the past - European focus
states do: war making, state making, protection, extraction
reorganisation by war because: central mechanisms of state making→ monopolised means of
violence
state= organised crime
Someone who creates a threat and then charges for its reduction.
Governments continuously fabricate, simulate or stimulate, threats of external war.
real threat to the livelihoods of the citizens is only the government’s repressiveand extractive
(taxation) activities. The only difference between them and racketeers is the sanctity of governments.
The authority of racketeer governments stems from the monopoly of violence (both narrowly and
broadly understood). This makes the government’s claim of providing protection more credible and
more difficult to resist. This does NOT mean that governmental authority relies only on the threat of
violence, nor is the government’s
only service protection.
State Formation and Violence 1
Conceptualising Violence -Johan Galtung
direct violence: behaviours carried out by a clearly identifiable agent with the intent to inflict bodily
harm
structural violence: when humans systematically cannot fulfil their physical and mental potential, →
does not require intent nor a clear agent (e.g. there is a solution to prevent harm but it is not
implemented)
Conceptualising Peace - Galtung
negative peace: the absence of direct violence
positive peace: self-sustaining condition that protects the human security of a population
Recent trends in violence and security (UCDP)
→ For most of the 20th century, civil wars were the dominant conflict, with a spike in the 1990s
and more recently Syria.
→ War is comparatively quite rare and only recently we have seen
more intrastate war (Russia-Ukraine)
Pettersson- Organized Violence
organized violence increasingly prevalent form since the end of the Cold War in 1989.
four main types of organized violence:
insurgencies,
communal conflicts,
organised crime-related violence,
and state repression.
The Syrian conflict: multiple actors with different motivations and strategies are involved.
importance of understanding the dynamics of organized violence in terms of the interaction between
state and non-state actors.
highlight role of external actors: neighboring states or international organizations → influencing
trajectory of organized violence.
often linked to other forms of political violence, such as terrorism, and that addressing the root causes
of organized violence requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond military means.
understanding the drivers and dynamics of organized violence is key for prevention
Paradigms - Thomas Kuhn
filters through which we see the world
Introduction 1
, importance of paradigms: assumptions about most important actors + their behaviours and
motivations + what leads to war and violence + what allows for peace and security
Introduction 2
, State Formation and Violence
Key Concepts
state: the organisation that has a monopoly over the legitimate use of physical
force within a given territory in the enforcement of its order (weber)
State formation: the long-term processes leading to the centralisation of political
power within a sovereign territory
State capacity: the ability of states to accomplish goals often measured by military
power and its administrative (tax) capacity→ indicator for state strength (enforcing
something that is against individual´s will)
The Bellicist Approach to State Formation (Tilly)
war produces state with stronger military ad stronger institutions to extract from society because need
the money
go to war because more capital/ power
war requires extraction, extraction requires state building → stronger bureaucracy→ stronger
protection (more alliances with e.g. capitalists)→ this is the origin of the state
institution purpose is to know the population to know how to extract resources
Reading notes : Charles Tilly- War Making+ State Making
legitimacy= authorities will respect your decisions
war and state making = organised crime through legitimacy
struggle of indirect power rule by European forces abroad in the past - European focus
states do: war making, state making, protection, extraction
reorganisation by war because: central mechanisms of state making→ monopolised means of
violence
state= organised crime
Someone who creates a threat and then charges for its reduction.
Governments continuously fabricate, simulate or stimulate, threats of external war.
real threat to the livelihoods of the citizens is only the government’s repressiveand extractive
(taxation) activities. The only difference between them and racketeers is the sanctity of governments.
The authority of racketeer governments stems from the monopoly of violence (both narrowly and
broadly understood). This makes the government’s claim of providing protection more credible and
more difficult to resist. This does NOT mean that governmental authority relies only on the threat of
violence, nor is the government’s
only service protection.
State Formation and Violence 1
