New Wars, Old Approaches or Different Applications?

Abstract

This contribution aims at answering a specific research question: What are the main strengths and weaknesses of the ‘new wars’ approach to explain contemporary armed conflicts? In doing so it resorts to a critical literature review, considering both proponents and detractors even empirical evidence as argumentative support. The analysis centres on six comparative axes: The units of analysis and actors of armed conflicts; its causes, motivations and objectives; the contexts in which these unfold; the means and forms of war-waging; the social impacts of organised violence, and finally the political economy and social structures of contemporary conflicts.