Staff and students in Oxford’s Department of International Development investigate diverse dynamics of “war and peace” -- ranging from studies of the state and its use of force, through to violent and non-violent resistance movements, and onto international responses to violent conflict. As an interdisciplinary department, our scholars have backgrounds in history, anthropology, political science, economics, and beyond, but efforts are made to reach across those disciplines. The Department has particular strengths in the study of conflict processes and conflict management in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, although other regions are also covered.
Teaching faculty who work on conflict and peace include: Prof. Jocelyn Alexander, who studies the history and politics of southern African Liberation Movements; Dr. Tom Scott-Smith, who has an interest in humanitarian principles and negotiated access in conflict zones; Prof. Sabina Alkire, whose Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) includes various measures of violence and conflict; and Dr. John Gledhill, whose work address issues of political change, state fragility, conflict, and conflict management.
Research staff, ODID associates, and DPhil students working on issues of “war and peace” include: Ian Madison, who studies governance in fragile states; Solange Fontana, who is interested in the social aspects of conflict and peace; Dan Hodgkinson, who looks at activism in Zimbabwe; Caitlin Procter, who considers the social impacts of protracted conflicts; Kirsten Pontalti, who is studying everyday practices in Rwanda; Marie Godin, whose interests lie at the intersection of migration and development; and Leila Vignal, who is currently working on the Syrian conflict.
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