Conflict Constellations Research Articles

Who Took the Fall in 1408, and Why? Vienna's Elites in Alliances and Conflicts with Habsburg Dukes

Abstract This article focuses on the involvement of Viennese elites in wide-reaching political conflicts around 1400. Central European princes often held positions as city lords, which resulted in ambivalent relations between them and urban elites, as well as with their kin residing in the countryside. Setting aside grand categories of institutional history in favor of the interactions and relations of concrete actors, their social networks, and their involvement in shaping politics, the article follows six urban actors through a major conflict that involved the city lords, urban authorities, and individual actors and eventually resulted in the beheading of three of them. The article adopts a prosopographical approach to find out more about patterns of social costs and benefits in these conflicts. It argues that considering polyvalent and relational dimensions of belonging can help us better understand constellations of conflict and alliance and the modes and mechanisms of late medieval politics. It eventually establishes the boundaries of social network approaches when it comes to assessing individual motives and their alleged resonance in contemporary narratives of community.

The Nation at Stake? Ideologizing Conceptions of Family Planning in East Central Europe Since 19391

ABSTRACT This introduction outlines the conceptional framework of the special issue and the current state of research as well as the main juridical, political and social milestones within the discussed timeframe. It offers a historicized view on conceptions of the family and their interdependencies, particularly perceptions of the woman’s role in the respective societies and states for the assessment of family values. In doing so, it places a lens on abortion, which is deemed a practice of the individual’s right of choice and hence a specific outcome of family planning. The article traces social and societal conflicts resulting from the abortion question in East Central Europe. It argues that multi-ethnicity has been a particular trigger which influenced the understanding of the family as the core of the nation and of women as its guardians, so that the various conflict constellations have been reflected in attitudes towards women and families.

Contested Visions for Transformation—The Visions of the Green New Deal and the Politics of Technology Assessment, Responsible Research and Innovation, and Sustainability Research

Societal transformations are contested. The goals and visions of transformations, as well as the means and strategies to achieve them, are born in political conflict and power constellations. Which transformations are seen as desirable and possible by democratic majorities changes throughout history. This is the political reality where research for transformations finds itself. Technology assessment (TA), responsible research and innovation (RRI), and sustainability research (SR) are a part of such contestations. They engage in envisioning, debating, analyzing, and evaluating different visions of and options for the future. In this article we turn to visions of the future as a key aspect of societal contestation and the shaping of interfaces between research for transformations and society. Based on the approach of vision assessment developed in TA, we situate TA, RRI, and SR within visions of research and social order. We argue that in these politicized times it is increasingly necessary to understand how research relates to larger visions of society and the contested nature of transformations. We turn to one of the major contemporary visions for societal transformation: The Green New Deal (GND). This vision imagines a large-scale transformation of society and the economy towards sustainability and justice and is currently debated in major political institutions and social movements. It presents an ongoing case of the “making of the future”, which is highly relevant for TA, RRI, and SR. We show how this vision is creating new knowledge and social arrangements and how it is opening up new possibilities for transformational research. The article discusses the implications that a possible further impact of GND visions in politics may have for TA, RRI, and SR, and, relatedly, how expertise and insights from TA, RRI, and SR could significantly add to the GND debate.

Responding to Socioeconomic Diversity in the European Union (and to Steven Klein’s Essay) with Democracy-Enhancing Conflicts Law

Responding to Socioeconomic Diversity in the European Union (and to Steven Klein’s Essay) with Democracy-Enhancing Conflicts Law

Human-Large Carnivores Co-existence in Europe – A Comparative Stakeholder Network Analysis

Improving human co-existence with large carnivores (LC) is considered necessary for reaching one of the goals of the EU Council Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1992). This study is part of the EU LIFE project EuroLargeCarnivores, providing a scientific analysis of current stakeholder networks of the project partners (mainly WWF offices), a necessary foundation for “Improving human co-existence with large carnivores in Europe through communication and transboundary cooperation”. We conducted systematic participatory and transdisciplinary primary research in 14 European countries. The transdisciplinary research design consists of three phases: stakeholder identification (Phase 1), participatory stakeholder-mapping (Phase 2a), a comparative network analysis (Phase 2b), and an Individual Stakeholders’ Perception Survey (Phase 3). We use the realistic method based on perceptions of the stakeholders involved. Phase 1 identifies 10 relevant Stakeholder Categories and specific agents. Phase 2a provides distinct comprehensive regional stakeholder maps with a special focus on the quality of multilateral relationships and stakeholders which are not yet actively involved in the networks. Phase 2b concludes with a comparative network analysis. The composition, density and quality of stakeholder networks as well as the interconnectivity of the project partners differ substantially. We reveal common denominators across Europe, varying relationships between stakeholder categories, and the potential positive role of foresters and veterinarians, for example. The results indicate the need for a more comparable implementation of EU regulations at national level, and for regional adaptations of support strategies for distinct stakeholders and networks. Phase 3 provides complementary insights into the involvement of the 10 Stakeholder Categories and their attitudes to large carnivore management. It also tests the institutional representation of membership in formal organizations. We challenge the perception of distinct stakeholder categories and whether involving institutional representatives in networking activities is sufficient. Based on current conflict constellations and best practice examples, we conclude with recommendations for strategic stakeholder engagement to: a) broaden and strengthen the stakeholder networks to b) improve human-human conflict management in the context of expanding large carnivore populations and their management.

Wife against advance directive: a case-inspired legal and ethical clarification

Advance directives and durable powers of attorney are two increasingly used tools for patients' precedent autonomy; however, their combined use, as recommended by major institutions in Germany, might in reality result in various discrepancies between the wording and interpretation of the directive and the surrogate's understanding of the patient's relevant will. In one of the possible conflict constellations, the surrogate wants to overrule arelevant and unambiguous advance directive by reference to a privileged access to the patient's "real" treatment preferences or the presumed will of the patient. Such cases, which must be strictly distinguished from cases with real or alleged leeway for interpretation in the advance directive, can lead to normative uncertainty as well as to substantial psychological distress for all persons involved. Based on an exemplary real clinical case from 2015 (which did not go to court) legal, ethical and pragmatic aspects of the described constellation are discussed. Ethically, caution should be exercised against arelapse into a masked treatment paternalism, which currently seems to be partly caused by judicial exegesis.

Introduction: A return to politics

What does politics mean in contemporary anthropology? Counter to propositions that argue that neoliberalism has produced a “post-political” condition, we argue the notion of a post-political world was never empirically accurate. Instead, using the ethnographic method, our contributors show ongoing and diverse forms of political practices and contestations in the contemporary moment. We reconsider politics at a conceptual level, defining politics as practices of world-making that proceed through the formulation of constellations of critique, disagreement, difference, and conflict. We build this definition through a discussion of contemporary theories of the post-political and agonistic politics, and by tracing a history of political anthropology. Finally, we consider politics as both a practice and a goal. The authors in this collection show that new political anthropologies are particularly attuned to questions of commoning/uncommoning, spaces of articulation and disarticulation, and struggles to live “otherwise.” We argue that a return to these questions with a robust and specific engagement with politics is necessary for anthropology and increasingly urgent given the global conjuncture.

Interactions between International Investment Law and Constitutional Law: Promoting the Dialogue. A European Perspective on Judicial Cooperation and Deference

There are manifold constellations of potential conflict between international investment law and constitutional law. The ordering paradigm for that interaction is an unresolved and underexplored question, which is currently coming up in a number of proceedings. As prominently evidenced by the recent Achmea judgment, we seem to be steering towards supremacy claims of one system over the other with each adjudicative body claiming the final say in the matter. This approach is in line with the classic ordering paradigm of hierarchy. However, this contribution shall argue that hierarchy is ill-suited to properly conceptualize the relationship between the two systems. Instead, it proposes to embrace the heterarchical reality, along with its call for judicial dialogue, as a normatively desirable paradigm. The relationship between international investment law and constitutional law need not be and should not be perceived as inherently antagonistic because their mutual endeavour is to promote the rule of law. Precisely this realization should guide the relationship between the two systems.

Spatialities of Hunger: Post-National Spaces, Assemblages and Fragmenting Liabilities

This contribution addresses the casual structure and spatialities of food insecurity. Drawing from scholarly debates on periphery, I illustrate the limited explanatory range of state-centered periphery-approaches in order to comprehend the recent constellations of conflict and hunger. I argue that increasingly dynamic and post-national spaces of food insecurity emerge. Due to complex power geometries, these spaces are driven by realigning and territorially-stretched arrangements of action (e.g. global producer-consumer relations), by technologically enhanced new temporal configurations (e.g. speculation and high frequency trade in food), by the performances of metrics (e.g. models of food price and value-constructions shaping food security), and by the reflexive effects of knowledge production. In order to comprehend these dynamics, concepts capable of capturing new assemblages are required.

Why Europe should care more about environmental degradation triggering insecurity

Environmental degradation, caused by climate change and land degradation, is a threat multiplier because of its huge impact on human security. It increases the conflict potential which is based on three conflict constellations: water scarcity; loss of land; and food insecurity. These conflict constellations can cause an increase of migration and deteriorate the governance of states and regional authorities which both have the potential to trigger or even increase violent conflicts. The main background drivers of climate change and land degradation are population growth and the rising living standards of large parts of the population. This article describes four hot spot regions where environmental degradation has the largest impact on security: the Sahel; the Middle East; Central Asia; and the coastal zones of East, South and South-East Asia. It recommends that the European institutions and its member states should step up their support to these regions considerably by mitigating the environmental factors contributing to insecurity, notably land degradation and climate change.

Appointing evil in international relations

This article examines how evil has been conceptualised in the discipline of international relations and contributes to a body of critical literature that treats evil as a legitimacy bestowing label. By drawing on securitisation theory, it suggests developing a performative approach to evil as an alternative to descriptive and normative approaches. It is argued that such an approach would not only be valuable for understanding the effects of naming and grading evil, but also fulfils three additional functions. First, it facilitates a shift away from applying intention as the primary measure for determining matters of guilt and condemnation. Second, it challenges the privileged position of the powerful when appointing particular phenomena/adversaries as evil. Finally, it provides an analytical starting point for understanding conflict constellations where different parameters of legitimacy seem to clash. This last function requires particular sensitivity towards the audience and the cultural context of ‘evilising’ moves.

The Concept of Environmental Security in International Relations: Definition, Features, Implications

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English]
 This article examines the concept of environmental security and assesses its role in international, regional and national security studies. The study is aimed at providing conceptual „mental map“ of this field, thereby giving analytical background and gui­dance for comprehensive environmental security studies, which are known for the diversity of conceptual approaches, methods and levels of analysis.The fundamental question of environmental security – how various environmen­tal factors (climate, resources, etc.) and processes can affect the security of states and societies. It examines the relationships between different environmental issues, their effects and various security problems. Environment is considered as integrated part of a security concept together with the dimensions of economic, social, energy or information security. In order to identify the main academic schools of the environmental security, this article uses four key questions, theoretically defining the core of environmental secu­rity concept: (i) what makes an impact (source of threat); (ii) to whom/what an impact is made („victim”); (iii) what kind of impact is made (threat); (iv) how an impact is made (mechanisms and “channels”). On the basis of these theoretical dimensions, five main academic schools of environmental security are identified and examined by focusing on their features and findings, methodology and critical assessment:1. Resource scarcity school examines the nexus between scarcity of renewable resources (e.g. freshwater) and various internal and international conflicts (their incidence, intensity and dynamics).2. Resource abundance school explores the relations between non-renewa­ble resources (e.g. diamonds, oil, etc.) and internal conflicts, especially civil wars.3. Climate change school focuses on nature (and human) induced environ­mental change and its implications for international security, socioeconomic development and social disruptions in various regions.4. Human security school focuses on environmental impacts on individual and “people-centered” security, which is closely related with sustainable develo­pment (food security, health and education, welfare, gender issues, etc.).5. Natural disasters school examines the socioeconomic impacts of various disasters (earthquakes, floods, etc.) with specific focus on the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of various social systems (states, communities, etc.).Analysis shows that environmental dimension becomes increasingly impor­tant element of international relations and security studies. Comprehensive security assessment, especially in developing countries, is not possible without taking into account the social and economic impacts made by resources, climate change and natural disasters.Research by 1 and 2 schools, despite various methodological problems, demons­trates the impact resources have to various internal conflicts and social disorder. Scar­city of renewable resources generates certain social effects (for example, decreased productivity of agriculture, migration, weakening of state institutions etc.), which, in turn, can fuel different types of conflicts (ethnic conflicts, coup d’état, poverty conflicts, etc.). Abundance of non-renewable resources can have various direct (for example, direct financial source for rebel groups), as well as indirect (affecting eco­nomy, political regime, separatism, etc.) impact to conflicts.Specific conditions in the developing countries play a significant role in terms of explaining the nexus between resources and security. Developing countries are often dependent on climate-sensitive agriculture and suffer from poverty. As a re­sult, various climate change effects (3 school) often amplify mechanisms, which lead to insecurity and violence, such as political instability, weak governance structures, poor economic performance, etc. This is especially relevant for those regions where several “conflict constellations” (water and food shortage, regular natural disasters, rapid demographic change, etc.) are overlapping. Environmental change also has a certain impact to international security in terms of possible increase in the number of weak and fragile states, risks for global economic development, intensification of migration, territorial disputes, etc.Generally, environmental security research (apart from the 1 and 2 schools) is based on a broad approach to security, which is not limited to military conflicts and include various elements of sustainable development and economic welfare. On the one hand, it is understandable, as interdisciplinary character of environmental securi­ty requires complex approach to security.On the other hand, research based on the concept of human security (4 school) often equates security with economic and social well-being, thus blurring the line between security and development studies. It also undermines the assessment of the impact environmental issues can have to traditional security problems (conflicts, regi­me change, political instability, etc.). Finally, securization of various social problems (AIDS, migration, poverty, gender inequality, etc.) might be used for political purpo­ses by legitimizing the use of military force or restricting human rights.Various natural disasters (5 school) have a substantial destructive power, which not only causes substantial damage (humanitarian crises, destroyed infrastructure, etc.), but also has complex socioeconomic and political effects, which affect politi­cal regimes, critical economic sectors, social stability, etc. From this perspective, a key role is played by physical and socioeconomic characteristics of vulnerability and adaptive capacity, which can absorb negative effects of natural disasters and mitigate the risk.

Migration as a contribution to resilience and innovation in climate adaptation: Social networks and co-development in Northwest Africa

Human migration has been described as one of the conflict constellations in regions affected by climate change, but can also contribute to climate adaptation. Migrant social networks can help to build social capital to increase the social resilience in the communities of origin and trigger innovations across regions by the transfer of knowledge, technology, remittances and other resources. These could increase the flexibility, diversity and creativity of communities in addressing climate stress and open new pathways for co-development connecting the home and host communities. Based on a conceptual framework connecting migration and adaptation, the paper explores possible opportunities, innovative approaches and institutional mechanisms for migration as a contribution to climate adaptation. The Western Sahel will be used as a case study region, with a focus on Mali, Mauritania and Senegal, using qualitative and quantitative analysis of remittances at the national level, and a micro-level analysis on the role of migrant networks in these countries in specific co-development projects in water, food and energy.

A New Type of Conflicts Law as Constitutional Form in the Postnational Constellation

The ‘conflicts law approach' reconstructs the potential of primarily, but not exclusively, European law to address—‘to compensate'—the threat to democracy that is posed by the concern that citizens would increasingly be subject to the effects of laws which they themselves had not authored. This structural democratic deficit calls for consideration of ‘foreign' demands. It also calls for cooperation and mutual respect between political constituencies. The normative basis for understanding conflicts law as a constitutional form with democratically grounded validity claims stems from the proposition that states must acknowledge or establish a law that provides a forum for foreign demands and manifests deference through transnational rules. Descriptively, the approach sets out to examine three types of conflict constellations—horizontal, vertical and diagonal legal conflicts—and three types of law-mediated responses, layered as the scheme of a ‘three-dimensional conflicts law'. In this special issue, seven articles, including the present, illustrate the problem constellation to which the evolving conflicts law approach responds and discuss problems with, or limitations of, the approach.

Political consulting’s impact on transforming democracies. The role and influence of political spokespeople in Poland

This paper sets out to explore the normative foundations of political public relations in the Republic of Poland. It is assumed that the transformation from the former communist regime to democracy has led to specific constraints and conflict constellations in the Polish political communication system which, in turn, shapes actors’ perceptions of today’s political public relations. Using data from qualitative elite interviews, the empirical reconstruction of the perception of political public relations is realized by investigating the role self-perceptions of Polish political spokespeople, their goals and tools as well as perceived constraints of their work. Due to the commercialization of the Polish media system, the interviewees expect a further professionalization of political public relations in the coming years.

Managing logging compensation payment conflicts in Ghana: Understanding actor-empowerment and implications for policy intervention

Forest resources outside permanent forest reserves form a substantial part of the overall natural forest biodiversity resources in Ghana. However, timber exploitation in off-reserve areas has been problematic as loggers and farmers have often been involved in conflicts over payment of crop-damage compensation. The paper examines 81 cases of this conflict which were reconstructed chronologically to investigate patterns of actors’ use of power resources and strategies and their effectiveness. The study employed an actor-empowerment conceptualisation of power and used a two-actor game model for the reconstruction of the conflicts. While several strategies and resources were mobilised and employed by the actors, their effectiveness were context-bound. The paper makes a case for areas where actors’ conflict capabilities could be built, why mediated bargaining can be more effective for managing such local conflict constellations and the need to interlock actor interests for mutual interaction by institutionalising mediated bargaining.

Domestic Adaptations of Europe: A Comparative Study of the Debates on EU Enlargement and a Common Constitution in the German and French Quality Press

The article investigates why a specific European issue is debated in one country but disregarded in another, and why issues are debated differently in different European countries. To understand this national filtering, expectations are formulated as to how specific policy traditions and issue-specific conflict constellations within a country are reflected in media debates. A systematic content analysis of the debates on EU enlargement and a common constitution for the years 2000–2002 in the German and French quality press reveals considerable variation in issue salience, actors’ prominence and actors’ responsibility attributions between and within the countries. This variation can be seen to be connected with different policy traditions and conflict constellations. The study seeks to go beyond merely describing variations in media coverage across Europe and systematically uses cross-national and cross-issue comparative research to understand this variation.

Modernitätskonflikte in der Weltgesellschaft. Zur kulturellen Konstruktion globaler Konflikte

The article is a follow up on the discussion on sociological theories beyond the so called »methodological nationalism« that equates borders of societies with national boarders. The problems of this methodological nationalism are particularly severe as the development of conflict dynamics since 1945 or at least since the end of the cold war cannot distinguish between international conflicts and conflicts in a society in an appropriate way. With this background the first task shall be to examine the use of two new macrosociological theories, which both use a perspective of world society for explaining contemporary conflict constellations: On one hand the cultural based theory of Samuel Eisenstadt and on the other hand the Stanford-school neo-institutionalism-theory based on the work of John Meyer. Characteristic for both is a fundamental criticism with the theory of modernisation. Secondly building up on the previous, the thesis of a far reaching separation between national statehood and modernity that grounds on the contemporary conflict constellation is displayed. As a result of this separation between modernity as a cultural and political programme and the national state as its dominant institution, conflicts arise between different competing models of society: the global, the national and the subnational model. This is demonstrated by some empiric development, for example the possibilities of intervening in the process of state collapse.

Nationality and the Preferences of the European Public toward EU Policy-Making

Analyses of covariance for Eurobarometer data from 1990 to 1994 demonstrate a significant effect of individuals' nationalities on their preferences toward the scope and content of European Union policy-making, while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The observed national differences are more pronounced for the scope than for the content dimension. An investigation of the causal mechanisms underpinning these effects concludes that it can be either national identities or nation-specific constellations of political conflict that mediate the effect of nationality for a particular nation. These novel findings qualify the expectations of the European political space approach concerning the existence of an integrated and somewhat autonomous space of political contestation toward the EU, but the observed decline of cross-national differences over time indicates that at least a trend in this direction exists.

A case study of borderline anxiety andthe process of analytic transformation

Borderline patients present particular treatment problems and require close, devoted understanding of their often chaotic and shifting intrapsychic conflicts. Many of these patients act out, making it difficult to maintain an analytic process. In fact, many terminate early on. When they do stay for longer periods, they exhibit particular constellations of defense, anxiety, and conflict. One extensive case report is used to examine the overlapping cycles of treatment with this population. Frequently, self-destructive acting-out is present in the transference and extra-transference. This acting-out is often followed by the self-destructive, anti-change attitude of the death instinct. These ways of relating to the self and the object are mobilized within the vehicle of projective identification and are best understood as primitive defenses against core fantasies of loss and persecution. These issues of loss and fear are the final and vital phase of treatment with borderline patients, who are often able to make major fundamental changes in their internal sphere, but only if patient and analyst can tolerate and understand these three levels of intrapsychic experience.