Description
Research on militarism has been thriving over the past two decades, especially with the establishment of critical military studies as a vibrant sub-discipline in IR. Pacifism has been increasingly studied in recent years and is beginning to establish itself as a critical lens for better understanding IR. Both fields intersect with other disciplines, including gender studies, peace studies and political theory. But they have rarely been brought into direct conversation. This roundtable will discuss the main avenues where this dialogue is most likely to be fruitful. Potential topics for discussion might include: framings of peace and security in an increasingly militaristic geopolitics; myths and assumptions about the effectiveness of organised violence; the intersections of popular culture with military institutions and practices; the political economy of war and the arms trade; feminist perspectives on war, militarism and peace; sites of resistance and nonviolent alternatives to militarism; epistemological and ontological challenges and opportunities for critical research agendas; the potential interconnectedness of militarism and pacifism.
