Violent 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.
|
