Re-Imagin(in)g Territorial Conflict

Bibliographic Data

ID12463528
AuthorsH E Goemans (0000-0001-5240-7134, University of Rochester), Hein Goemans (1Department of Political Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA; email: [email protected]), D Bruce Carter (0000-0002-5236-8080, Washington University in St. Louis), David Carter (0000-0002-0828-3987, 2Department of Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
Year2025
Volume28
Issue1
Pages133-149
Publication date2025-04-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnnual Review of Political Science (BOOK_SERIES)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1094-2939 • E-ISSN: 1545-1577
PublisherAnnual Reviews (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1146/annurev-polisci-041322-024152
OpenAlexW4409307112
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited52

Territorial disputes continue to fuel both armed conflicts and security threats around the world despite norms against the violent resolution of territorial conflict. The pervasiveness of territorial conflict presents a puzzle since the value of territory has allegedly decreased in an age of globalization and interdependence, and many territorial conflicts involve territory with little tangible value. Our inquiry begins not with states, but with groups and rules of group membership. Changing the unit of analysis to the group and its membership rules exposes the bases for territorial disputes both historically and in current world politics. We show that under different rules of group membership, territory has different meanings. Different rules directly affect which territory will be contested. Conflict is particularly likely and especially difficult to resolve when groups with different rules of membership lay claim to the same territory

Criminology · Law and economics · Political economy · Political science · Sociology · Balkans: History, Politics, Society · Cyprus History, Politics, Society · Philippine History and Culture

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