Thick recognition: Advancing theory on identity change in intractable conflicts

Abstract

This study relates the concept of recognition to processes of conflict transformation. The recognition concept has been underdeveloped in recent International Relations literature, where the main emphasis has been on interstate relations and on recognition as cause of conflict. This article challenges that understanding through the introduction of the concept of thick recognition. Thus an understanding of recognition which is applicable also in intrastate conflicts is developed. Through a strong emphasis on intrastate relations and identity politics, I develop thoughts on how narratives of war can be reversed through the introduction of narratives of recognition. The study thus provides theoretical concepts and distinctions that can be used as a framework for the study of thick recognition and its relationship to broader processes of conflict transformation. The theoretical framework is employed in a case study on the Israeli debates about ‘New History’. Insights from the case contribute to understandings of inhibiting and facilitating circumstances for the introduction of narratives of thick recognition in conflicted societies. The study ends with a discussion on the usefulness of the theoretical concepts for further work on recognition within the field of International Relations.

Creating a state: A Kleinian reading of recognition in Zimbabwe’s regional relationships

“…It can establish a 'shared identity' (Wendt, 2003) or at least a mutual empathy (Strombom, 2014) that, even if begun as a violent struggle, has the potential to establish a better understanding of the other and so of a more harmonious world. This view that recognition can drive the world towards more peaceful outcomes is what Bartelson (2013) calls its 'moral claim'.…”

National narratives and the Oslo peace process: How peacebuilding paradigms address conflicts over history

“…In return, the Israeli government recognized the PLO as ‘the representative of the Palestinian people’ (Israel and PLO: ). This mutual recognition was thin (Strömbom :171) and asymmetrical (Kelman ), but it triggered a narrative shift . The Israeli government now referred to the territory it occupied as the ‘West Bank’, instead of ‘Judea and Samaria’, which meant that ‘some of the land now settled by Israelis is other‐than‐Israel’ (Michels : 30).…”

“…The closest the peace process got to addressing the Israeli and Palestinian narratives is the Taba Summit in 2001 (Ben‐Yosef Hirsch : 241; Botiveau ; Strömbom : 182). In section 3.1 of his report on the summit, UN special Representative Miguel Moratinos writes ‘the Israeli side put forward a suggested joint narrative for the tragedy of the Palestinian refugees.…”

Japan as China's 'other': China's identity and policy towards Diaoyu/Senkaku islands

“…If Japan recognized the discourses of China's identity, China would feel more ontologically secure and would not have to feel the need to re-inscribe its identity. Recognition and adjustment in identities are central to achieve a break from the vicious circle in protracted identity conflicts (Strombom 2012). Recognition makes identity more secure and lessens the urge of the self to secure its identity by pointing to the dangerous 'other'.…”