Anna Ohanyan

Networked Regionalism as Conflict Management

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Anna Ohanyan is Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Studies at Stonehill College.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Stanford University Press
• Seitenzahl: 272
• Erscheinungstermin: 15. April 2015
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 236mm x 156mm x 22mm
• Gewicht: 501g
• ISBN-13: 9780804793865
• ISBN-10: 0804793867
• Artikelnr.: 41750723

Autorenporträt

Anna Ohanyan is Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Studies at Stonehill College.

Inhaltsangabe

Contents and Abstracts
Introduction
chapter abstract
This chapter starts out by discussing the limitations of traditional
conflict management applications in post-Communist world and the
ineffectiveness of the global conflict management infrastructure in
freezing, as opposed to solving, conflicts in politically divided areas
(PDAs). It then presents the Regional Networked Peace Paradigm as a
theoretical and policy framework of third party interventions in
politically divided areas. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the
organization of the book.
1Regional Theory for Conflict Areas
chapter abstract
Chapter 1 is an overview of the literature on regionalism. It presents a
set of characteristics of regionalism in PDAs, with an emphasis on the
Balkans and South Caucasus. It then delineates the key debates within
regional studies, tailoring them to the specific context of PDAs. The
specific debates in regional studies examined here are the importance of
territoriality versus functional ties in defining regions; the importance
of state versus nonstate actors in region formation processes; the role of
conflict or cooperation as a regional marker; and the issue of regional
autonomy relative to great-power influence over a region and its member
states. One of the main purposes of the next section, then, is to expose
students of conflict management and peace and conflict studies to some of
the existing fault lines in the regionalism literature within international
political economy.
2Network Theory of Regionalism in Conflict Areas
chapter abstract
This chapter begins by discussing the rationale for the network approach to
studying regionalism in PDAs. It then calls for a distinction between
networks and networked governance at the regional level by asking, what
institutional attributes of networks matter for conflict management
processes and outcomes? The section here on network attributes builds the
case for the theoretical and policy value of those institutional attributes
for the theory and practice of regionalism in PDAs. The following network
attributes are specified: patterns of regional network mobilization
(top-down versus bottom-up); the level of institutional density of regional
networks (high/low); degree of power concentration (high-low); and the
level of heteropolarity (high/low). The chapter then profiles several
dominant regional forms in terms of these network attributes. The dominant
regional forms presented in the chapter include: soft/hard regionalism,
security complexes versus regional orders; and nested regionalism.
3Networking Peaceful Regions
chapter abstract
Chapter 3 builds on the network-based typology of regional arrangements
developed in the previous chapter. It juxtaposes the traditional
state-centric and country-based concepts of interventions with regional
peace-building approaches. It provides a brief review of existing proposals
on reforming the global conflict management infrastructure and then
presents peace building as a region-building approach, largely drawing from
the networked regional peace paradigm developed in this study. Chapter 3
clarifies what are considered to be a "successful outcomes." Departing from
peace and conflict studies, it rejects the notion that reconciliation is
the ultimate goal for interventions. Instead, at the regional level
cultivating institutionalized peace systems for addressing current and
future conflicts is considered the ultimate goal for interventions. This
chapter examines how networks with particular attributes contribute to
particular peace patterns.
4Three Regional Approaches to Conflict Management
chapter abstract
This chapter is an overview of the ways in which the regional cooperative
structures have developed over the years in PDAs other than the Western
Balkans and West Europe. Within that overview, the chapter seeks to fulfill
three specific objectives. The first is to take a small step toward
addressing the "high N problem" by asking, "Where else has it worked?" The
second objective of this chapter is to acknowledge and appreciate the
diversity of regions and institutionalized forms of cooperation they
sustain. The third objective of is to apply the regional theory for
conflict areas developed in Chapter 1 to Central America and Southeast
Asia.
5The Western Balkans: A Region on the Move
chapter abstract
This chapter begins by revisiting the main theoretical divisions within the
regional studies literature as discussed in Chapter 1, with an emphasis on
how the case of the Western Balkans as a PDA supports, challenges, or
enriches the existing theoretical debates. It then applies the network
approach developed in Chapter 2 to the Balkan case of regionalism. This is
followed by an in-depth investigation of the Regional Cooperation Council
(RCC), which has been a key tool in building regional cooperation in the
West Balkans.
6The South Caucasus: Weak States or a Broken Region
chapter abstract
The chapter examines the case of South Caucasus relative to that of the
West Balkans. The key objective here is to generate comparative regional
theory on politically divided areas (PDAs). In particular, the chapter
applies the key theoretical themes from the regional studies literature, as
reviewed in Chapter 1, to the South Caucasus. South Caucasus is examined in
terms of the extent to which territory versus functional ties as regional
markers; whether the regional arrangements are driven by states or nonstate
actors; whether conflict or cooperation is the main regional marker; the
level of regional autonomy from external powers. The chapter then moves to
discuss the key network attributes of the existing, even fragile, regional
peace-building infrastructure that exists in the South Caucasus. The
chapter concludes with two case studies: the Regional Environmental Centre
for the Caucasus (REC) and the South Caucasus Business and Development
Network.
7Peace-building as Region-building: Theory and Practice
chapter abstract
This chapter begins by describing the regionally networked peace paradigm
both in terms of its value as a research agenda as well as a policy
framework. The chapter examines the general policy implications for region
building as a peace-building strategy, and offers specific policy
recommendations for South Caucasus, where region-building processes are
embryonic and the structures of regional governance are nearly nonexistent.
More specifically, the chapter discusses the analytical value of PDAs as a
distinct category, different from conflict or post-conflict regions. It
also offers a framework of comparative analysis of PDAs. The network
approach developed to study PDAs is then applied to regional organizations
that are supporting particular PDAs. The chapter moves to highlight key
tensions when regionalism is applied to conflict management both in terms
of theory and practice. A discussion on regional social capital concludes
the chapter.