Feinstein’s Rachel Gordon co-presented with Fletcher PhD Candidate Sophia Dawkins on the function of dysfunctional peace processes at the International Studies Association Conference.

Their presentation explored what functions “dysfunctional” peace processes may serve by examining the credibility of three different viewpoints for the contemporary peacemaking in South Sudan and Syria. The three viewpoints they reviewed are:

• the instrumentalist view that realist pursuit of money, power and status drive spoiler participation
• the neo-patrimonial view that peace processes offer a tool to renegotiate political loyalties, prerequisite but subordinate to achieving military objectives
• the social constructivist view that interests are endogenous to a peace process, the institutional arrangements of which can transform spoiler behavior.