Terrorism, Civil Wars and Uprisings

Research on conflicts and terrorism has undergone considerable paradigmatic shifts over the past few decades. Theory has always sought to explain why conflicts start, the constraints and opportunities that actors face, the characteristics of conflict, and the changing dynamics of war. Many of these aspects have been extensively scrutinized, and the importance of identity strategies, national identities, religious or ethnic belonging for explaining outbursts of violence have been explored by a large number of scholars (among many others, Banton, 1977; Horowitz, 1985; Rex, 1986; Hutchinson and Smith, 1996). But theory is also constantly evolving to keep up with rapid changes in different conflict environments, and there is a growing sense of an interconnection between phenomena that had been separated previously.

The chapter starts by discussing methodological and conceptual approaches that have been used to analyze contemporary violent conflicts, and highlights a few significant paradigmatic shifts that have impacted on how politically motivated violence has been framed. The chapter then examines the various theoretical approaches that have been developed to understand conflict in its different forms, with a particular focus on contemporary research on the causes, effects, and dynamics of violent conflicts and civil wars. In the last section, the chapter explores emerging approaches to conflict as well as new stakes and upcoming challenges in future conflict research.