Political articulation of ex-combatants with the State and society 2006-2010

Project: Research Project

Project Details

Description


The central question of the proposed research is how ordinary ex-combatants recently demobilized from illegal armed groups articulate with society, the state and democracy, and thus how they conceive of their rights and duties as citizens.

For this purpose, the working hypothesis seeks to determine whether the rank and file ex-combatants of recently demobilized illegal armed groups in Bogotá, Colombia, have renounced the ideology, discourse and social demands that characterize the armed group to which they belonged, which until their demobilization determined a relationship of violent contradiction with the State and democracy.

In a complementary manner, the data collected in this research will allow us to specifically identify how recently demobilized ex-combatants relate to specific institutions (e.g., the Presidency, the High Council for Reintegration), other groups (e.g., displaced persons, guerrillas, self-defense groups, etc.), and which demographic, ideological and social factors favor or disfavor non-violent relations with the State and democracy.

The proposed methodology combines qualitative and quantitative tools. A first step will be the application of a survey of potential participants (ex-combatants), which will seek to determine some demographic traits and what their pre-existing political positions are vis-à-vis other groups and democracy. Subsequently, these people will be invited to take part in political deliberation tables, with the participation of at least 4 ex-combatants, who will dialogue freely on general policy issues. The analysis of the contents of the speeches of the ex-combatants will be done through a discourse analysis matrix. Subsequently, these results will be correlated with the information from the surveys through the use of multivariate statistical analysis tools.

Commitments / Obligations

Esta propuesta de investigación surge como parte del trabajo de disertación doctoral que el postulante prepara actualmente con el Instituto de Ciencia Política de la Universidad de Berna. El tema de la propuesta doctoral en curso es el nivel de deliberación política en población desmovilizada en Colombia. Dicho trabajo doctoral está siendo dirigido por los profesores Jürg Steiner y Marco R. Steenbergen, ambos profesores de la Universidad de Carolina del Norte y la Universidad de Berna.

Mientras el trabajo doctoral se concentra en el análisis formal de la deliberación (p.e. niveles de respeto, participación, apelaciones al bien común, etc.), la propuesta de investigación que ahora se somete a consideración pretende hacer una análisis de contenidos que complemente el trabajo doctoral.
Short titlePolitical articulation of ex-combatants
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/15/0912/15/12

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This project contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 1 - No Poverty

Main Funding Source

  • National

Location

  • Bogotá D.C.

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