David Malet, Miriam J. Anderson, eds. Transnational Actors in War and Peace: Militants, Activists, and Corporations in World Politics. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2017. 244 pp. $34.95 (paper), ISBN 978-1-62616-443-7; $69.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-1-62616-442-0.
Reviewed by Melia Pfannenstiel (Air University, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies)
Published on H-War (August, 2018)
Commissioned by Margaret Sankey (Air University)
A burgeoning field of inquiry on transnational actors seeks to understand how such factors as globalization and the resurgence of non-state power brokers interact with states and with one another. Scholarship on the dynamic interplay between actors in conflict and post-conflict processes is increasingly important for understanding statecraft, but the tendency to “stovepipe” in academic disciplines or subfields can hinder progress. This volume draws broadly on history, political science, sociology, and business to illustrate the divergent literature on transnational actors, from multinational corporations to diasporas and revolutionary movements, that mobilize in war and peace to pursue interests.
Although the work highlights similarities in research interests across disciplines, the premise of this book is decidedly oriented toward political science. It seeks to challenge a state-centric understanding of world politics through comparative analysis of actors in war and peace, but the reader does not require extensive knowledge of theory for understanding. David Malet and Miriam J. Anderson note their intention to move beyond existing conceptualizations of globalization and interdependence, popularized by political scientists Joseph Nye and Robert Keohane, to one of complex transnationalism. Given the limited review of literature, however, without knowledge of this scholarship, the reader may struggle to distinguish between these established ideas on the role of actors and institutions in war and peace and the framework presented in this volume.
The editors are sensitive to the challenge of broad applicability across time and space to illustrate the emergence of complex transnationalism, defined as “the increasing number, scope, interactions, and influence of transnational actors on diplomatic and governance processes where states have invited as participants, been forced to respond to, or have become reliant upon the expertise of transnational actors and where transnational actors increasingly interact directly with each other” (pp. 5, 199, 216). Thus, transnationalism is not a new phenomenon, but the nature of interactions and the political legitimacy and authority acquired by other actors vis-à-vis the state is evolving.
Individual chapters seek to provide examples of transnationalism, specifically the interaction among these non-state actors, rather than actors solely interacting with states. While some cases are informative and provide evidence of the progression of non-state actor participation in global affairs, they are less convincing in establishing their importance for understanding transnationalism. Nevertheless, these actors may be of interest to scholars and policymakers seeking to understand state-society interactions or the strategic communications used by a range of non-state actors or nongovernmental organizations. For example, in chapter 1, Luke Flannigan details the activities of the Catholic service organization Knights of Columbus during World War I to demonstrate how actors tailor messaging to different audiences. While the transnational activities of the Knights of Columbus were limited in scope, this example provides an interesting foundation for subsequent chapters that detail more concerted transnational efforts.
Catia Cecilia Confortini provides a historical account of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) activism in World War I and throughout the early to mid-twentieth century in chapter 2 and briefly contrasts WILPF members’ vision with the more domestic-focused Knights of Columbus in the preceding chapter. The contribution in chapter 2 is better understood when read alongside Anderson’s discussion of transnational feminist networks and peace advocacy in chapter 9. The two are complementary, but Anderson’s chapter provides breadth, to include the role of women’s groups in peace accords and human rights advocacy in the post-Cold War era.
The first two chapters in this compilation are distinct but not entirely dissimilar from the others in the volume. Individual chapters complement others in some way, but the transition from chapter 2 to chapter 3 is particularly abrupt. This draws attention to a substantial historical gap between the first two chapters and those that follow, which predominately detail actors in the post-Cold War era. The historical gap is not explicitly addressed and is notable because the aim of this volume is to describe the changing nature of transnational actors throughout the “first transnational century.” As the introduction details, the study of transnationalism gained prominence in the 1970s and cooperation among a variety of actors, including violent non-state actors, is well-documented during this time. Perhaps a chapter on left-wing social and revolutionary actors during this period, many of which maintained extensive ties to one another as well as other transnational actors, might have bridged this divide.
For conflict scholars broadly interested in civil war or irregular warfare, barriers to peace and reconstruction in Africa, various non-state actors in Syria, or the sources of violent extremist recruitment, chapters 3 through 10 provide timely material and analysis. In chapter 3, Virginia Hauffler outlines the convergence of transnational corporations and supply chains with a global discourse on social responsibility to facilitate regulation of conflict minerals, particularly in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Jennifer M. Brinkerhoff follows in chapter 4 with insight from the role of Chadian and Zairean diasporans in efforts to influence country of origin governments and post-conflict reconstruction in Chad and present-day Democratic Republic of Congo.
Chapter 5 by Ariel I. Ahram and John Gledhill contrasts the brands of political Islam used by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Osama bin Laden to provide a foundational understanding of organizational structures and communications networks that is well suited for cross-case comparison of emerging transnational violent extremist organizations. The following chapter by Malet builds on these ideas and provides a primer on Sunni and Shi’a foreign fighters in Syria. Malet also illustrates how fighters learn from one another at an increasing rapid pace through information technology. Both Phil Orchard, in his discussion in chapter 8 of humanitarian action, and Malet illustrate the variety of groups operating in Syria that seek to influence the state and civil society.
Chapters by Matthew LeRiche (chapter 7) and Kate Macdonald (chapter 10) connect many of the volume’s themes to emerging topics within security studies and demonstrate the utility of a multidisciplinary approach to understanding conflict processes. LeRiche provides an overview of extant literature on the evolving role of private military security companies (PMSCs) and the range of services they provide for governments and corporate interests. This raises important legal and security questions that are of interest to security scholars and practitioners. Macdonald’s chapter pairs well with Hauffler’s but instead details community-level efforts to alleviate grievances. Particularly in developing countries with weak regulatory institutions, environmental issues and land disputes often exacerbate other underlying tensions. The ability of these transnational authoritative actors to closely engage with those at the local, national, and international levels in order to manage political, economic, and social sources of conflict sheds light on an under-explored area of conflict and peace studies.
Chapters in this volume are generally organized chronologically and provide a sample of actors during the “transnational century.” The individual chapters are accessible and succinct and many topics will draw interest from students of security studies. Its key contribution is the ability to unearth commonalities and areas for future inquiry among seemingly disparate actors. For example, Anderson and Malet conclude, “All use framing to legitimize participation in conflicts in disregard of state sovereignty. All mobilize various constituencies to pressure states and non-state actors to change their policies and behavior. All these actor types promote the legitimacy of nonstate stakeholders in the governance of peace, regulation of markets, and the conduct and management of conflict” (pp. 215-216). Malet and Anderson correctly point out the tendency to “stovepipe” in academic disciplines and this volume begins a much-needed dialogue that synthesizes transnational topics across disciplines, from the humanities and social sciences to business.
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Citation:
Melia Pfannenstiel. Review of Malet, David; Anderson, Miriam J., eds., Transnational Actors in War and Peace: Militants, Activists, and Corporations in World Politics.
H-War, H-Net Reviews.
August, 2018.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=50861
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