Citizenship in violent settings

A wide gap has opened between the erstwhile vision of a prosperous and secure post-Cold War world and the present realities of violent conflict and chronic poverty experienced by much of the world's population. Where national security has been achieved, it has often been at the expense of human rights and democratic governance. What kind of security would hold at its core the interests of individuals and communities, and not solely the protection of the state? And when the very institutions tasked with making people secure are often the ones people distrust the most, can a more democratic approach to security restore legitimacy? This research theme sought to answer these questions by exploring examples of how people move from violence, through participation, to substantive citizenship. The local settings for the research include the partner countries of Brazil and Nigeria, with additional work in Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica and Uganda
Key documents
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Violence, Social Action and Research.
Pearce, Jenny and Rosemary McGee, eds.
IDS Bulletin, Vol 40 (3), Institute of Development Studies: Brighton , 2009
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Violence, Security and Democracy: Perverse Interfaces and their Implications for States and Citizens in the Global South
Pearce, Jenny, Rosemary McGee and Joanna Wheeler
IDS Working Paper, 2011 , 2001
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Broadening Spaces for Citizens in Violent Contexts
McLean-Hilker, Lyndsay, Nicholas Benequista and Gregory Barrett
Citizenship DRC Policy Briefing: Brighton , 2010
Related Publications
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Violence, Security and Democracy: Perverse Interfaces and their Imp...
Wheeler, J, Pearce, J & R, McGee
IDS Working PaperThe impact of violence on the everyday lives of citizens in a number of countries, regions and cities of the global S...The impact of violence on the everyday lives of citizens in a number of countries, regions and cities of the global South has been the central theme of five yearsâ work in the Violence, Participation and Citizenship (VPC) group of the DRC on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability. Important questions arose from this work about security provision and democracy in contexts of violence, particularly chronic violence. In the contexts in which we worked, security provision did not necessarily diminish violence and enable democratic participation and the meaningful exercise of citizenship rights - which should define security - but the opposite often occurred. -
Researching Masculinity and Violence in Sri Lankan Politics: Subjec...
de Silva, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3) -
"The Life That We Don't Want": Using Participatory Video in Researc...
Wheeler, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3) -
Between Rationality and Intuition: A Social Psychology Approach to ...
Jimenez Caballero, C
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)Throughout its history, Colombia has been marked by different forms of violence. The involvement of children as soldi...Throughout its history, Colombia has been marked by different forms of violence. The involvement of children as soldiers is a phenomenon that recurs across generations. This article asks how the methodology governing social interventions should be designed so that it becomes possible to interrupt the circuits that lead to the intergenerational reproduction of violence. It reports on a human rights training aimed at children who are no longer active participants in Colombiaâs armed conflict. The project incorporated an educational approach and a social psychology focus which, taken together, were able to make progress towards overcoming the effects of violence. The article seeks to show the importance of intuition and the coming together of different areas of knowledge in the educational and social psychology models the project employed. A strong focus on active therapeutic listening has been particularly important. -
Transformative Education in Violent Contexts: Working with Muslim a...
Harris, C
IDS Bulletin, 40(3) -
Building Interfaces between State and Community
Wheeler, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)An important dimension of the research process in the case of Rio de Janeiroâs favelas was linking the research to ...An important dimension of the research process in the case of Rio de Janeiroâs favelas was linking the research to policy dialogues on public security. This briefing note explores some of the issues that emerged through these dialogues. These include the paucity of legitimate community representatives, the way that the government uses information, and the importance of time and timing in building policy dialogues. In order for there to be a productive dialogue with policymakers at the municipal, state, or other level, interlocutors between the favelas and government institutions are also key. -
Risk and Fear in Researching Violence
Wheeler, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3) -
Negotiating Access for Participatory Research with Armed Actors
Wheeler, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)Carrying out research in areas controlled by armed actors requires an ongoing process of negotiation along a series o...Carrying out research in areas controlled by armed actors requires an ongoing process of negotiation along a series of different axes. Permission from these non-state groups is essential in order to have access to the communities they dominate, yet independence from them is also fundamental to the integrity of the research. External research engages in negotiations which mirror the compromises that residents make on a daily basis. This briefing note traces the process of negotiating access with militias and drug dealers for research to take place in Rioâs favelas. The challenge throughout these negotiations was demonstrating enough flexibility to appear not to be a threat, while at the same time maintaining the neutrality of the research. Militias and drug dealers each set different âtermsâ for allowing the research to go ahead in relation to their specific concerns. -
Negotiating Children's Social Contexts in Jamaica: Ethics, Practica...
Moncrieffe, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)Conducting research in contexts of violence requires sensitivity and prudence, particularly when <br/>the study invo...Conducting research in contexts of violence requires sensitivity and prudence, particularly when
the study involves children. This article outlines some of the ethical and practical issues that influenced âhow' researchers worked with children in selected inner-city Jamaican communities. It demonstrates the importance of self-reflection, recognising that researcher's social backgrounds may have much more weight than they acknowledge on the research process and product. -
Bringing the Reality to Policymakers
Moncrieffe, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)Often, researchers assume that disseminating findings to policymakers is straightforward and that policymakers have t...Often, researchers assume that disseminating findings to policymakers is straightforward and that policymakers have the best interests of the researched communities at heart. However, this is not necessarily the case in reality. It is useful to remember that while an organisationâs principles and objectives can influence attitudes and commitments, policymakers are individuals with multidimensional identities, which are shaped by their social contexts. They are not immune to societiesâ prejudices. Policymakers can replicate and entrench values that are inimical to those their organisations formally endorse. âBringing the reality to policymakersâ is rarely a facile and predictable enterprise; instead, it requires that researchers seek to understand policymakersâ social contexts and perspectives, the power dynamics within organisations, and
among policymakers and the individuals and communities they are meant to serve. -
Survey Methodology in Violence-Prone Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South ...
IDS Bulletin, 40(3) -
Quantitative Methods in Contexts of Everyday Violence
Justino, P, Leavy, J & E, Valli
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)The analysis of violence from an individual or household perspective is arguably one of the most challenging research...The analysis of violence from an individual or household perspective is arguably one of the most challenging research areas in social science. Outbreaks of violence affect the core of human relations and social norms. They occur in non-linear cycles, and co-exist at different levels of social interaction within the family, the community or the state. Analysis of this complexity cannot be restricted to one social science discipline or method of analysis. This article reflects on an innovative methodology adopted to capture the experience of living with violence in communities in Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico and Nigeria. The methodology confronted disciplinary boundaries by encouraging close dialogue between quantitative and qualitative researchers in violent settings, and creating processes for learning and sharing. This article describes the methodology, presents the main results of the quantitative analysis and reflects on the challenges and lessons. -
Violence Framed: Participatory Video in Action Research
DVDThis document is not currently available -
Introduction: Researching Democracy and Social Change with Violence...
Pearce, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)There are many studies of violence within specific fields of the social sciences, but the next stage in our evolving ...There are many studies of violence within specific fields of the social sciences, but the next stage in our evolving understanding of violence may lie with interdisciplinary approaches. By traversing traditional academic categories, violence as a variable may become more visible in its multiple modes. It is through our ability to see the linkages between interpersonal, cultural, collective, political, state, interstate and structural violences that we can gain a better understanding of its persistence in human interactions. Researchers for this IDS Bulletin set out not only to understand contemporary dynamics of violence, but also to work with people trapped in violent places, spaces and histories who were willing to talk about and act upon their situation. Researching violence in an interactive way with those living in the thick of it posed many ethical, safety, epistemological and methodological challenges. These are documented in this IDS Bulletin along side findings on the dimensions and impact of violence in different contexts. -
Researching Gendered Silences of Violence in El Salvador
Hume, M
IDS Bulletin, 40(3) -
Researching with "Violent Actors": Dangers, Responsibilities and Et...
Moncrieffe, J
IDS Bulletin, 40(3) -
Understanding Violent Realities - and Transforming Them?
McGee, R
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)The conclusion sums up the contributions which this IDS Bulletin makes towards the goals of <br/>reducing violence t...The conclusion sums up the contributions which this IDS Bulletin makes towards the goals of
reducing violence through social action and improving research in violent contexts. These contributions are of three kinds: methodological, ethical and transformational, with respect to the violent realities in which the processes unfolded. Methodologically speaking, the contributions in this issue offer a series of insights that permit better understandings of violence and better contextual awareness of violent settings. They emphasise innovative research methodologies which elicit insights from those who experience violence but are often invisible. Ethically speaking, contributorsâ concerns with uncovering often-suppressed facets, dynamics and perspectives on violence are part of their normative interest in the emergence of democratic
forms of politics and progressive social change. The research intervention can serve as a catalyst for transforming violent realities, dislodging and re-focusing participantsâ viewpoints on their life worlds, allowing changes to happen. -
Participatory Theatre and Video: Acting against Violence in Norther...
Okwori, JZ, Alubo, O & OS, Abah
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)Drama and video are effective tools for stimulating reflection and research on violence. This article describes a res...Drama and video are effective tools for stimulating reflection and research on violence. This article describes a research process which tried to understand expressions of identity, constructions of citizenship and prospects for reducing future violence in northern Nigeria, where there have been many outbreaks of violence centred on religion and ethnicity. Researchers and local partners carried out a survey in several communities. They then used the survey findings to develop a drama which was performed in each community and which was followed by a facilitated debate. Participatory video was integrated at all stages.
The research findings show that most people do not believe that the contemporary violence is a result of religion. Rather, they see religion as the organising platform. This analysis offers a more nuanced understanding of the conflict than merely labelling it ethno-religious. -
Action Research against Violence: An Experience from Southern Mexico
Cortez Ruiz, C
IDS Bulletin, 40(3)This article reflects on an experience of action research aimed at improving the understanding of <br/>the problem of...This article reflects on an experience of action research aimed at improving the understanding of
the problem of chronic violence, raising awareness of its causes and implications, and promoting initiatives that seek to combat it through the assertion of rights. The research was developed as part of a university diploma taught in two Mexican states where chronic violence is an issue. The diploma aimed to build and support networks that promote cooperation between social actors. The action research was designed to offer a shared space in which diploma participants could develop joint initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the nature and dimensions of violence, and to confront the problem. Through building trust, the experience resulted in the creation of new approaches to the complex problem of violence, and new ways to understand it. -
Methodological Dilemmas: Researching Violent Young Men in Medellin,...
Baird, A
IDS Bulletin, 40 (3)This article highlights the main methodological problems and solutions encountered while researching violent young me...This article highlights the main methodological problems and solutions encountered while researching violent young men in the marginalised north-eastern area of MedellÃn, Colombia. Using ethnographic methods, the research investigated how violent behaviour may be inherited, and its relationship to masculinities and youth. It asked how violence is transmitted to young men in both domestic and social spaces, and evaluated the relationship between marginalisation and social violence. Little has been written about how researchers can access violent actors who are reluctant to come forward or tell the truth, nor the ethical issues that arise when researching violent subjects in conflict contexts. This article explains how dangers were dealt with, but also how problems ofaccessing violent actors were overcome, and considers the ethical dilemmas. -
Making and Unmaking the Young Shotta [Shooter]: Boundaries and (Cou...
Moncrieffe, J
IDS Working Paper 297This papercomprises a patchwork ofconversations and life-stories from two of Jamaicaâs reputedly violent âgarriso...This papercomprises a patchwork ofconversations and life-stories from two of Jamaicaâs reputedly violent âgarrisonâ communities. The stories come from a variety of sources, grandparents to the very young; however, the principal focus is on the children and, specifically, on how some among them â those labelled as âyoung shottasâ [shooters] are cultivated. Our storytellers expose the effects of deep-rooted economic and social inequalities; the perception that gun violence is a
means to personal liberation and âpowerâ, particularly among males; and the concentration of conflict within and across like neighborhoods. There are stories about social conditioning and manhood, the role of families and peers and of how children are forced to grow in contexts where there are little or no opportunities for exit and restricted spaces for change... -
Violence, Power and Participation: Building Citizenship in Contexts...
Pearce, J
IDS Working Paper 274This paper explores how meaningful citizenship can be constructed in contexts of chronic violence, using data from a ...This paper explores how meaningful citizenship can be constructed in contexts of chronic violence, using data from a field study of CSOs in Colombia and Guatemala. It explores whether and how CSOs work on as well as in violence. Building citizenship in chronic violence contexts, it argues, requires simultaneous attention to citizenship and to violence so that the intergenerational transmission of violence can be interrupted as well as rights embedded in social consciousness and practice. -
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