Civil War

Abstract

Summary The most prevalent type of conflict in the world is civil war, or conflict within the confines of an internationally recognized state. Scholars have grappled with practically every aspect of this complex phenomenon, from the causes and drivers of the violence to the violent actors themselves and their make-up, organization, practices, and interactions, as well as the possible interventions and remedies. The state of the art in the field is rich and diverse. This contribution identifies three generations of scholarship and outlines the most important insights that have been brought forward over the past three decades. Moreover, it offers a reflection on the challenges of the field, which are related to dominant approaches, levels of specialization and size of the field, existence of blind spots, received knowledge base, variation in language and participation, and, lastly, relevance for policy.

Authors 1

1. Isabelle Duyvesteyn corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University ,