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Constructing a Swedish conflict prevention policy based on a powerful idea and successful practice

Björkdahl, Annika LU (2007) In Cooperation and Conflict 42(2). p.169-185
Abstract
The story of how conflict prevention became an integral and legitimate part of Swedish foreign policy illustrates the relationship between successful practices and powerful ideas. This article suggests that the demonstration of an idea in practice empowers the idea and contributes not only to its selection, but also to its framing and institutionalization within foreign policy. Hence, the article sets out to explore the relationships between practice, ideas and foreign policy. Adopting a social constructivist perspective, the article provides a detailed process-tracing of the construction of a Swedish conflict prevention policy and concludes that conflict prevention was a powerful idea because it was morally appealing and persuasive as... (More)
The story of how conflict prevention became an integral and legitimate part of Swedish foreign policy illustrates the relationship between successful practices and powerful ideas. This article suggests that the demonstration of an idea in practice empowers the idea and contributes not only to its selection, but also to its framing and institutionalization within foreign policy. Hence, the article sets out to explore the relationships between practice, ideas and foreign policy. Adopting a social constructivist perspective, the article provides a detailed process-tracing of the construction of a Swedish conflict prevention policy and concludes that conflict prevention was a powerful idea because it was morally appealing and persuasive as well as successfully demonstrated in practice. In fact, preventive practices spearheaded the advancement of the conflict prevention idea. In addition, the idea resonated with the Swedish foreign policy elite, with commonly held values and with the traditional Swedish foreign policy that stressed internationalism and solidarity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
foreign policy ideas, conflict prevention, social constructivism, UNPREDEP, Swedish foreign policy
in
Cooperation and Conflict
volume
42
issue
2
pages
169 - 185
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • wos:000247292200002
  • scopus:34249072650
ISSN
0010-8367
DOI
10.1177/0010836707076687
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
87b132cb-56f6-4042-91c7-27b22027b882 (old id 647521)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:54:38
date last changed
2022-03-07 17:11:32
@article{87b132cb-56f6-4042-91c7-27b22027b882,
  abstract     = {{The story of how conflict prevention became an integral and legitimate part of Swedish foreign policy illustrates the relationship between successful practices and powerful ideas. This article suggests that the demonstration of an idea in practice empowers the idea and contributes not only to its selection, but also to its framing and institutionalization within foreign policy. Hence, the article sets out to explore the relationships between practice, ideas and foreign policy. Adopting a social constructivist perspective, the article provides a detailed process-tracing of the construction of a Swedish conflict prevention policy and concludes that conflict prevention was a powerful idea because it was morally appealing and persuasive as well as successfully demonstrated in practice. In fact, preventive practices spearheaded the advancement of the conflict prevention idea. In addition, the idea resonated with the Swedish foreign policy elite, with commonly held values and with the traditional Swedish foreign policy that stressed internationalism and solidarity.}},
  author       = {{Björkdahl, Annika}},
  issn         = {{0010-8367}},
  keywords     = {{foreign policy ideas; conflict prevention; social constructivism; UNPREDEP; Swedish foreign policy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{169--185}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Cooperation and Conflict}},
  title        = {{Constructing a Swedish conflict prevention policy based on a powerful idea and successful practice}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0010836707076687}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0010836707076687}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}