Hardback
Conflict, Crisis and War in World Politics
An Introduction
9781035311590 Edward Elgar Publishing
This topical textbook outlines conflict, crisis, and war as central challenges in the international security arena, exploring their history, evolution, nature, dynamics, and trends. Patrick James and James M. Scott discuss the major approaches to analysing conflict, crisis, and war and identify the key avenues for managing them.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
This topical textbook outlines conflict, crisis, and war as central challenges in the international security arena, exploring their history, evolution, nature, dynamics, and trends. Patrick James and James M. Scott discuss the major approaches to analysing conflict, crisis, and war and identify the key avenues for managing them.
Engaging with major scholarly work, the textbook combines scientific realism, analytic eclecticism, and the multilevel and graphic approach of systemism to establish the meaning and importance of theory and linkages across levels of analysis. Reflecting on policy practices, James and Scott explore system, state and individual level explanations of, and approaches to, managing and preventing conflict, crisis, and war. They ultimately advocate for an integrated approach that addresses and connects multiple levels of analysis for a more thorough and nuanced understanding.
Key Features:
● Applies an innovative approach with unique visual tools
● Encourages comprehension of major concepts, theories, and practices and critical thinking
● Includes core feature boxes which present real-world applications to illustrate a concept and reflect on a point of explanation in greater depth
Theoretically informed and conceptually innovative, this textbook is vital to students and scholars of international politics, international relations, and terrorism and security.
Engaging with major scholarly work, the textbook combines scientific realism, analytic eclecticism, and the multilevel and graphic approach of systemism to establish the meaning and importance of theory and linkages across levels of analysis. Reflecting on policy practices, James and Scott explore system, state and individual level explanations of, and approaches to, managing and preventing conflict, crisis, and war. They ultimately advocate for an integrated approach that addresses and connects multiple levels of analysis for a more thorough and nuanced understanding.
Key Features:
● Applies an innovative approach with unique visual tools
● Encourages comprehension of major concepts, theories, and practices and critical thinking
● Includes core feature boxes which present real-world applications to illustrate a concept and reflect on a point of explanation in greater depth
Theoretically informed and conceptually innovative, this textbook is vital to students and scholars of international politics, international relations, and terrorism and security.
Critical Acclaim
‘In this timely, comprehensive, and thought-provoking book, Patrick James and James M. Scott offer an integrated approach to the study of conflict processes that brings together multiple levels of analysis. They masterfully blend existing scholarly work with unique visual tools and offer a wealth of illuminating examples from the real world. This authoritative text puts the pieces of the puzzle together in a highly accessible way, making it an extraordinary resource for all who are concerned with conflict in the contemporary global system.’
– Zeynep Taydas, Clemson University, USA
‘Conflicts escalate from crisis to war due to domestic, regional, and international influences. Most approaches ignore this complexity or are too technical for non-specialists. The authors employ graphic analysis – supplementing words with images – so the complexity of international conflict is part of the theorizing yet is understandable by all.’
– Douglas Lemke, Pennsylvania State University, USA
– Zeynep Taydas, Clemson University, USA
‘Conflicts escalate from crisis to war due to domestic, regional, and international influences. Most approaches ignore this complexity or are too technical for non-specialists. The authors employ graphic analysis – supplementing words with images – so the complexity of international conflict is part of the theorizing yet is understandable by all.’
– Douglas Lemke, Pennsylvania State University, USA
Contents
Contents
1 Understanding the challenges of conflict, crisis, and war
PART I UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
2 Conflict, crisis, and war in world politics
3 The evolution of conflict, crisis, and war
4 The issues
PART II EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM
5 System-level explanations
6 State-level explanations
7 Individual-level explanations
8 Understanding crises
9 Understanding civil wars
10 Multi-level explanations
PART III COPING WITH THE PROBLEM
11 Taking matters into their own hands: state-based approaches to
managing conflict, crisis, and war
12 Working with and through others: IGOs, NGOs, and conflict, crisis,
and war
13 What do we know about conflict, crisis, and war?
14 References
1 Understanding the challenges of conflict, crisis, and war
PART I UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
2 Conflict, crisis, and war in world politics
3 The evolution of conflict, crisis, and war
4 The issues
PART II EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM
5 System-level explanations
6 State-level explanations
7 Individual-level explanations
8 Understanding crises
9 Understanding civil wars
10 Multi-level explanations
PART III COPING WITH THE PROBLEM
11 Taking matters into their own hands: state-based approaches to
managing conflict, crisis, and war
12 Working with and through others: IGOs, NGOs, and conflict, crisis,
and war
13 What do we know about conflict, crisis, and war?
14 References
