Peaceland
Subtitle: conflict resolution and the everyday politics of international intervention
By: Séverine Autesserre
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2014
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 329
ISBN-13: 9781107052109
Subjects: Peace-building; International cooperation; Intercultural communication; Peaceful change (International relations); POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General
Description: "This book suggests a new explanation for why international peace interventions often fail to reach their full potential. Based on several years of ethnographic research in conflict zones around the world, it demonstrates that everyday elements - such as the expatriates' social habits and usual approaches to understanding their areas of operation - strongly influence peacebuilding effectiveness. Individuals from all over the world and all walks of life share numerous practices, habits, and narratives when they serve as interveners in conflict zones. These common attitudes and actions enable foreign peacebuilders to function in the field, but they also result in unintended consequences that thwart international efforts. Certain expatriates follow alternative modes of thinking and acting, often with notable results, but they remain in the minority. Through an in-depth analysis of the interveners' everyday life and work, this book proposes innovative ways to better help host populations build a sustainable peace"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 289-320) and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: Introduction; 1. Studying the everyday; Part I. Constructing Knowledge of the Host Country: 2. The politics of knowledge; 3. Local reactions; 4. Fumbling in the dark; Part II. Constructing and Maintaining Boundaries: 5. The interveners' circle; 6. A structure of inequality; 7. Daily work routines; Conclusion: transforming Peaceland; Appendix: an ethnographic approach.