36 exam-style questions on Contested meanings of peace, conflict and violence — topic TS3.1 of Thematic Study 3: Peace and conflict in the IB Global Politics syllabus — with answers and explanations. Samples below; the full set is free with an account.
What is a conflict fought mainly between groups within a single state, rather than between states, called?
Answer: intrastate (civil) conflict
Most contemporary armed conflicts are intrastate, though they may draw in external actors.
The 'security dilemma' describes a situation in which
Answer: one state's efforts to boost its security make others feel less secure
Defensive build-ups can be read as threats by others, prompting counter-measures and an arms race even when no side seeks war.
In Galtung's typology, 'direct violence' refers to
Answer: physical or verbal harm inflicted by an identifiable actor
Direct violence is visible harm with an identifiable perpetrator and victim (e.g. assault, war casualties), in contrast to structural and cultural violence, which have no single actor.
Rival great powers arm and finance opposing sides in another country's war without fighting each other directly. This is best described as a
Answer: proxy war
In a proxy war, external powers pursue their rivalry through local combatants, as in several Cold War conflicts and in Syria and Yemen; the sponsors avoid direct confrontation with each other.
A conflict between a state's regular army and a much weaker non-state group that relies on guerrilla tactics is best described as
Answer: an asymmetric conflict
Asymmetric conflict involves parties with vastly unequal military capabilities, leading the weaker side to adopt unconventional tactics such as guerrilla warfare or insurgency.
In the 'greed versus grievance' debate, the 'greed' explanation associated with Paul Collier holds that civil wars are driven mainly by
Answer: opportunities for rebels to profit from lootable resources
The greed thesis argues that economic opportunity — such as control of diamonds, oil or drugs — better predicts civil war than grievances like discrimination, which is the rival explanation.
That was 6 of 36 Contested meanings of peace, conflict and violence questions.
Practise all 36 freeDistinguishAO2 · 3–8 marks
Make the difference clear for BOTH terms — a definition of one of them is only half an answer.
DefineAO1 · 1–3 marks
Give the precise meaning — one sentence, the key terms in it, no example needed unless asked.
IdentifyAO1 · 1–3 marks
Name or pick out the thing asked for from the information given. A label, not a paragraph.
36 Contested meanings of peace, conflict and violence questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
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