New Books in Sociology

Andreas E. Feldmann, "Repertoires of Terrorism: Organizational Identity and Violence in Colombia's Civil War" (Columbia UP, 2024)

Sep 22, 2024

Andreas E. Feldmann, a researcher delving into terrorism and civil conflict in Colombia, explores the unique ways armed groups utilize violence during civil wars. He reveals how organizational identity influences these diverse strategies, shaping the behaviour of guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, and state security forces. Feldmann shares personal insights tied to his family's refugee history and discusses the evolution of tactics post-2016 Peace Accord. His findings underline the broader implications for understanding violence and humanitarian efforts in similar contexts.

42:18

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Andreas E. Feldmann

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Quick takeaways

Dr. Andreas Feldmann argues that armed groups' distinct uses of terrorism during Colombia's civil war stem from their unique organizational identities.

The study reveals that patterns of violence are shaped by armed groups' identities, which influence their methods and motives in conflict.

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Intro

2min

Exploring Terrorism in Colombia's Civil War

3min

Exploring Violence and Identity in Colombia's Conflict

12min

Comparative Analysis of Colombian Insurgent Groups

2min

Violence and Identity in Colombian Conflict

20min

Why do armed groups employ terrorism in markedly different ways during civil wars? Drawing on more than a decade of fieldwork, Dr. Andreas E. Feldmann examines the disparate behaviour of actors including guerrilla groups, state security forces, and paramilitaries during Colombia’s long and bloody civil war. Analysing the varieties of violence in this conflict, he develops a new theory of the dynamics of terrorism in civil wars.

In Repertoires of Terrorism: Organizational Identity and Violence in Colombia's Civil War (Columbia University Press, 2024) Dr. Feldmann argues that armed groups’ distinct uses—repertoires—of terrorism arise from their particular organisational identities, the central and enduring attributes that distinguish one faction from other warring parties. He investigates a range of groups that took part in the Colombian conflict over the course of its evolution from ideological to criminal warfare, demonstrating that organisational identity plays a critical role in producing and rationalising violence. Armed parties employ their unique repertoires as a means of communication to assert their relevance and territorial presence and to differentiate themselves from enemies and rivals. Repertoires of Terrorism is based on an extensive data set covering thousands of incidents, as well as interviews, archival research, and testimony. It sheds new light on both armed groups’ use of violence in Colombia’s civil war and the factors that shape terrorist activity in other conflicts.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars.

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