Environmental changes as an additional cause of violent conflictsGjeorgjievska Stojmenovska, Marija (Avtor) Roter, Petra (Mentor) Crnčec, Danijel (Komentor) identitysocial constructivismenvironmental changesviolent conflictsViolent conflicts by themselves occur as a result of among others incompatible goals, perceptions and motives. Conflict causes are often related to identity, ethnic, religious or ideological characteristics. As the world is constantly changing, this creates many different threats that can endanger security. How these other threats are perceived in everyday life also affects the type of response to those threats by individuals. This thesis focuses on yet another cause that can threaten people’s peace and security – namely, environmental changes. The thesis explores the complex relationship between environmental changes and the emergence of violent conflicts, positing that these changes, when intertwined with identity-based discourse by leaders, can trigger violent behavior among social groups. By adopting a post-positivist meta-theoretical approach, the thesis underscores the socially constructed nature of knowledge and reality, pushing for a multidimensional analysis that integrates environmental security with peace and conflict studies. The thesis also examines the influence of social constructivism on violent conflicts, showing how socially constructed identities and perceptions, shaped by leaders’ identity-based discourses, lead to violent conflict. The thesis broadens the scope of traditional conflict causes, such as security, political, religious, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic factors, to include environmental changes as a significant yet underexamined trigger. By challenging the dominant view that environmental changes are considered as not so threeatening in sparking conflicts, the thesis explains their crucial impact, particularly when merged with identity politics.M. Gjeorgjievska Stojmenovska20242024-06-28 08:30:01Magistrsko delo/naloga159027sl