GV506: Nonviolence as a strategy

1
GV-506 Non-violence as a strategy

• Alternative view of strategy
• Human Needs Theory (Galtung and Burton)
• Typology of non-violence
• Social defense

2
Conception of Society

• Dominant belief Society is an integrated system
  of values (value theory)
• Social contract theories voluntary associations
  (Lock, Durkheim)
• Society is conflictual (Marx, Hobbes, Bakunin)
  (Conflict theory)
• Coercion
• Dominance of state over society (class structure,
  state structure)
• State authorita vs. individual autonomy
• Role of elites (Pareto and Mosca C. Wright
  Mills)
• Role of technocracy
• Role of culture and cultural predisposition to
  violence (Galtung)
• Is social control necessary? Should it be based
  on violence?

3
Human nature and an alternative perception of
conflict and human condition

• Dominant conception of human nature Evil!
  Aggressive! (Machiavelli, Hobbes, Morgenthau)
• Is Human nature genetically predetermined?
• Marx human nature a social construct
• Freud human nature is determined by psychic and
  mental processes (instincts)
• Reshaping the discussion focus on human needs
• Maslow and the pyramid of human needs
• Galtung 4 classes of needs (survival,
  well-being, identity, freedom)
• Biological predispositions vs. cultural
  restructuring of patterns of behavior
• Universal patterns of behavior
• Emotions and their relation to needs human
  behavior based on needs
• Individual needs and reference (identity) groups
• State survival vs. individual needs

4
StrategyWeapons are important factor in war,
but not the decisive factor it is people, not
things, that are decisive Mao.

• Policy governs objectives
• Strategy coordination of all resources to attain
  the political objective
• Resources military, economic
• Psychological factors
• Elements of a strategy
• Logistical, operational, social, and
  technological
• Military and psychological components of
  strategy.

5
Bouldings three faces of power

• Threat power
• Deterrence
• State authority over citizens
• Economic power
• Integrative power
• Legitimacy, persuasion, loyalty
• All three faces of power are necessary Why?
• Examples Soviet Union, Germany during WWII,
  British empire

6
Social defense

• Disarmament and peace movements
• Does disarmament makes sense?
• An alternative policy social defense
• Def non-violent communal defense to external
  aggression
• A No regime can survive with legitimacy and
  passive support
• Components of social defense
• Symbolic actions
• Slogans, demonstrations, wearing insignia of the
  opposition
• Noncooperation
• boycotts, refusal to pay taxes, sit-ins
• Intervention and alternative institutions
• Sabotage, establish alternative institutions
• Social defense confrontation with cooperative
  solutions

7
Conflict resolution

• How do we define conflict?
• Weberian definition of conflict struggle over
  values or goals
• Alternative theories of conflict Burton
• Human motivation needs, values, and interests
• Distinction between settlement and resolution
• Conflict resolution satisfaction of needs.
• Galtung
• Conflicts over clearly articulated values
  (strategic actors)
• Conflicts over interests embedded in social
  structure
• Conflict triangle
• Impact of psychological insights
• Patterns of behavior and non-rational emotions
• Misperceptions
• Role of empathy in constructive conflict
  resolution
• Origins of international conflict
• Domestic vs. external factors
• Power vs. human needs
• Levels of Analysis and conflict resolution
• Conflict management vs. conflict resolution