UNDERSTANDING CONFLICT AND VIOLENCE: DEFINITIONS, TYPOLOGIES, AND THEORETICAL INSIGHTS

Nkereuwem David Edemekong

Department of History and International Studies, University of Uyo, Nigeria

ORCID ID: 0009-0003-1007-0686

ORCID Record: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1007-0686

Abstract

This study critically interrogates the foundational concepts of conflict and violence in peace and conflict studies, underlining the necessity of conceptual clarity in theory and practice. Drawing on classical and contemporary scholarship, including Galtung’s seminal typologies and empirical data from conflict zones in Africa and beyond, the paper delineates between various forms of conflict and violence. It explores their typologies, intersections, and contextual expressions in sociopolitical environments. Emphasis is placed on the implications of misunderstanding these concepts in policy, mediation, and scholarship. The paper concludes that a deeper, historically situated understanding of conflict and violence is indispensable for effective peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and scholarly inquiry.

Keywords: Conflict, Violence, Typology, Structural Violence, Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation.