Networks: Peace and Conflict Studies in Anthropology Network
PACSA is a research network for the study of peace and conflict from an anthropological point of view. Both peace and conflict are problematic concepts, and what constitutes an anthropological point of view is open to discussion. Peace can denote anything from a personal feeling (‘peace of mind’) to a social order (‘just peace’). A conflict can be anything from an interpersonal disagreement to a worldwide, drawn-out war. For the sake of clarity, we define the scope of PACSA:s engagements as follows:
- PACSA is concerned with social and cultural processes of peace and conflict. Peace is therefore treated as a particular kind of social and cultural order.
- The sort of conflict that PACSA investigates involves socially and culturally organized violence (which does not prevent us from being concerned with how individuals experience peace and war).
- Anthropological perspectives differ from other, similar perspectives in that they are informed by ethnographic and comparative knowledge.
- The anthropological record contains enough voices and points of view to decenter provincial perspectives on, and autistic attitudes toward, globally diffused problems. Decentering may also serve as an important step toward practical conflict transformation.
The contribution of anthropologists to the study of peace and conflict is vital. Anthropologists are able to address the human dimensions of these issues. The challenge anthropologists face is how to make sense of these dimensions and how to best communicate them.
To join this network email Erella Grassiani, E.Grassiani(at)fsw.vu.nl.
