United Nations Peace Operations and International Relations Theory

John Karlsrud editor Kseniya Oksamytna editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Manchester University Press

Published:26th Sep '23

Should be back in stock very soon

United Nations Peace Operations and International Relations Theory cover

United Nations peace operations have undergone multiple transformations over the more than seventy years of their existence. Multidimensional peace operations have organised elections, helped deliver humanitarian assistance, advised on army and police reform, and fought rebel groups. Such operations not only represent a core pillar of the multilateral peace and security architecture but also reshape the lives of millions of people around the world.

This volume provides the first comprehensive overview of multiple theoretical perspectives, offering examples of how International Relations theories apply to specific policy issues and demonstrates how major debates on UN peace operations - on civilian protection, local ownership, or gender mainstreaming - benefit from theoretical exploration. With insightful contributions from international academics, this is an essential book for scholars, students, and experts working on peace and security and international cooperation.

'This excellent book successfully engages the literature on UN peacekeeping with scholarship on international relations (IR) theory. Oksamytna (King’s College, London) and Karlsrud (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs) have arranged the contributions of nine scholars into a superb "one-stop shop" for readers who want an overview of how different theoretical perspectives address the issue of post–Cold War UN peacekeeping operations. Contributors examine the capabilities and limits of individual IR theories for explaining peacekeeping missions and their effectiveness. All seek to answer the same question: "Why does UN peacekeeping take the shape that it does,” applying a particular theory of IR to a case study from their own research. Together they highlight the shortcomings of the dominant realist theory and the important contribution of alternative theories (from constructivism and liberal institutionalism to practice theories, including critical security studies, feminist institutionalism, and complexity theory) to the understanding of phenomena (such as peacekeeping) that do not neatly fit the realist model.'
CHOICE

‘United Nations peace operations and International Relations theory manages to be both accessible and insightful in a way that makes this edited volume an invaluable resource for researchers and students alike. Bringing a range of theoretical perspectives to bear on UN peace operations including many excluded from more conventional analyses, the book ultimately stands as a testament to how novel theoretical engagement can provide genuine insight into the practical realities of peacekeeping.’
Krisztina Csortea, Deputy Editor of International Affairs

'This is a long overdue contribution that sits at the intersection of critical reflection and good old-fashioned scholarship. Composed of nine chapters that succinctly weave the evolution of UN peacekeeping missions together with major theories in International Relations (IR), this volume will serve as an important learning resource for young academics. Readers who remain uninspired after finishing this volume are likely to be few and far between.'
International Affairs

‘[United Nations peace operations and International Relations theory is] highly readable and does provide a very useful introduction to what different theoretical approaches might make of UN peacekeeping…[The volume] is an invaluable resource to scholars and students seeking to better understand the applicability of theory to practice.’
B. K. Greener, Massey University

ISBN: 9781526174482

Dimensions: 216mm x 138mm x 13mm

Weight: 295g

256 pages