How violent organizations function in societies, and how they affect peace and conflict.
How violent organizations function in societies, and how they affect peace and conflict.
The organization of violent force is a phenomenon which takes many forms. A focus on political allegiance (e.g. “state” and “non-state”) has masked shared traits between disparate organizations such as: government armies, police forces, militias, vigilantes, rebels, political extremist groups and criminal networks. These have more in common than official political discourse allows. When identifying and analysing similarity and variation among these organizations, rather than sorting violent organizations by their putative political allegiance (or lack of such), research within this group is structured around fundamental organizational traits. These include: how members are recruited, trained, placed within an organizational framework, managed and held accountable according to a set of shared norms and laws. But, also, strategic choices and modus operandi in relation to the use of violence; the dynamic between various groups and organizations (violent or not); how violent organizations are used in the pursuit of political and economic goals.
This research group looks at a broad range of research questions including:
The study of violent organizations requires the application of multi-disciplinary approaches from both the social science and the humanities, utilising a broad spectrum of quantitative and qualitative methods. This include, for instance, the study of rebel governance, violent extremism, security force assistance, military sociology, migration and radicalisation, local violence and vigilantism. Researcher within the group focus in particular on case studies of specific localities, countries and organizations, but various comparative approaches are also part of the repertoire. The focus of this research group is closely related to an ongoing realignment within conflict studies where organised violence is increasingly recognised as an overarching concept including all kinds of war related and collective violence. Research dissemination activities within the group is aimed at extensive international academic networks and at interaction with policy-makers and practitioners.
The Sahel region is increasingly affected by transnational security threats which spill across national borders, such as insurgency, terror attacks, uncontrolled migration and illicit trafficking in commodities.
December 5-7, PRIO hosted a workshop titled ‘Security Force Assistance in Fragile States’.
Marianne Dahl successfully defended her doctoral thesis today, 30 March, at the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences - NTNU.
From 1 January 2016, Ragnhild Nordås will take over as Research Director for the Conditions of Violence and Peace Department.
Gleditsch becomes the first Norwegian to receive the Anne-Lise Meier Forschungspreis from the Alexander Humboldt Foundation.
New Blog Post by Ukoha O. Ukiwo and Siri Aas Rustad
Professor Kristian S.
Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos, specialist on Nigeria, and PRIO Global Fellow, analyses the multiplication and intensification of the Islamist group Boko Haram's deadly attacks at the outset of this year in an interview for Libération by Jean-Louis le Touzet.
The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds 2014
International Studies Association
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PRIO Project Summary
Book chapter in Fremmedkrigere: forebygging, straffeforfølging og rehabilitering i Skandinavia
Journal Article in PRISM
Øystein H. Rolandsen
Research Professor