Understanding regional peace and security: A framework for analysis

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to build an analytical framework for understanding regional peace and security. Building on important insights from other theoretical approaches and drawing from empirical data, the framework aims to problematize and understand: (a) how peace and security cluster at the regional level, (b) the components of each regional cluster, and (c) the linkages that exist between them.

In a globalized and interconnected world each polity engages in a wide range of different relationships with other polities. Peace and security embody one of these relations as to feel secure or to be in peace entails managaing a relationship with the 'other'. Firstly, this study investigates how these relationships occur at a regional level. Secondly, it aims to identify the components of each regional peace and security cluster. It proposes that in order to understand the complexities of each cluster we have to account for: (a) agents of peace and security, (b) instruments of peace and security, (c) security pattern, (d) conflict pattern, (e) positive peace pattern, and (f) level of regional integration. Thirdly, the study examines how these different components relate to each another. It introduces the concept of 'regional peace and security cluster' (RPSC) and proposes that RPSCs can be classified as 'regional fragmentations', 'regional coalitions', 'regional communities', and 'regional governmental polities'.

Methodologically, the study adopts a deductive-inductive spiral, whereby theory and data permanently feed into each other. It is based on a qualitative and analytical framework that is verified empirically on two case studies (Europe and South Asia).