Citation

Hollis S. Disasters 2018; 42(1): 19-40.

Affiliation

Assistant Professor, Centre for Crisis Management Research and Training (CRISMART), Department of Security, Strategy and Leadership, Swedish Defence University, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12231

PMID

28452162

Abstract

International relations and disaster studies have much to gain by thinking critically about their respective theoretical and epistemological assumptions. Yet, few studies to date have sought to assess the potential value of linking these two disciplines. This paper begins to address this shortfall by examining the relationship between disasters and conflict as a research sphere that intersects international relations and disaster studies. Through an analysis of whether or not disasters contribute to intra-national and international conflict, this paper not only provides a review of the state of the art, but also serves to invite scholars to reflect on related concepts from other fields to strengthen their own approaches to the study of disasters in an international setting. An evaluation of the conceptual and theoretical contributions of each subject area provides useful heuristics for the development of disaster-conflict scholarship and encourages alternative modes of knowledge production through interdisciplinarity.

© 2017 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2017.

Language: en

Keywords

conflict; disaster; interdisciplinarity; international relations; natural hazard; perspectivism; violence