Paper short abstract:

Ethnographic insights into civilians’ experiences and attitudes in war- and post-war contexts are included in the Peace and Conflict Studies curriculum at Malmö University. A further potential of anthropological contributions refers to the course War and Art: Representations and Interpretations.

Paper long abstract:

In contrast to political science-based Peace and Conflict Studies, the multidisciplinary curriculum of Peace and Conflict Studies at Malmö University includes anthropological perspectives on political violence. Pursuing the "what" questions while considering experiences, practices and the creation of meanings that remain invisible in top-down theories of power is seen not only as a complement to the answers attempted to "why" questions. Ethnographic insights as a basis of production of knowledge on civilians' experiences and attitudes in war- and post-war contexts are necessary for understanding the conflicts' dynamics and thus crucial in any attempt of conflict resolution and peace-keeping. The specific contribution of anthropology is indispensable, for its focus on individual agency in local circumstances, and the simultaneous grasping of how they are embedded in national and transnational contexts. A further potential of anthropological contributions to Peace and Conflict Studies refers to the course "War and Art: Representations and Interpretations", where - within a regional focus and time-span that facilitate a comparative approach - different means of representation and different modes of interpretation of war experiences (including visual arts and literature, documentary photography and films) are explored against the background of anthropological texts. Relations between private and political spheres, individual experiences and representations of groups, and definitions of insider and outsider positions are discussed, as well as political and humanitarian mobilization involved in different types of professional engagement.