“A Few Fragile Shards of Hope:” The Role of Social Agents and the Military in Implementing Effective Peace Policy

Abstract

As conflict and its inevitable consequences become more prevalent, anthropology’s focus on the humanity and the human condition positions it to provide meaningful input into the practical process of peacemaking. Anthropologists are no strangers to studying both conflict and peace. Unlike political scientists and historians who study larger processes such national interactions, anthropologists focus on sociocultural concepts. In the case of peacemaking, there are several important questions worth examining. What social agents can be addressed that create a lasting peace? Are there deeper social constructs (structural manifestations of violence for example) that influence peacemaking? Are there approaches that offer a better chance of building a sustained peace? Most important, however, is how these answers can contribute to the development of more affective peacemaking policy.