Troubled Regions and Failing States: The Clustering and Contagion of Armed ConflictKristian Berg Harpviken Is the phenomenon of state failure better understood through a focus on the regional context? To what extent may studies of regional security benefit from a focus on the capacities and vulnerabilities of the states involved? These are the questions addressed in this volume of "Comparative Social Research". Substantially, this special issue operates at the intersection of the larger debates on state failure and on regional (in-) security, relating to various perspectives within each of these. State failure, manifesting itself in the inability of a state to maintain its monopoly of violence, has become a widespread phenomenon in several regions of the world. While the weakness of the institutions of the state in question is an obvious dimension of state failure, there is also an important international dimension. In many of these cases, conflicts are interwoven and violence spills across borders. |
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Accessed action activities actors Afghanistan analysis approach areas argued armed Asia authority Available Bangladesh become border building capacity Central challenges civil Comparative complex concept concerns conflict contributed cooperation corruption Council countries diamonds domestic dynamics early economic ECOWAS effect efforts emerged established Ethiopia ethnic example external failed failure forces foreign formation Georgia global groups idea important increase institutions interests involved issues leaders Liberia limited major means Middle East military natural neighbouring networks operations opposition organisations organizations particular peace perspective political positions practice present President problems processes question rebel regime regional security relations relationship remains Research response role rule Russian Sierra Leone social society South Soviet state-building strategies strong structures Studies territory threat transnational United Nations University Press various violence wars weak West Africa