A Content Analysis of Peacekeeping Issues for the Journal Armed Forces and Society

Date

2010-04

Authors

Brady, Christopher W.

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Abstract

Purpose: This study describes peacekeeping issues found in the journal of Armed Forces & Society. Peacekeeping is an important aspect of civil-military relations because it attempts to normalize the relationship between society and the armed forces of a nation. As the premier journal on civil-military relations Armed Forces & Society should cover topics dealing with peacekeeping. Peacekeeping operations are undertaken to repair the negative relationship between a society and its armed forces. The journal has proven to be the benchmark in discussing civil-military relations and therefore should incorporate content on peacekeeping. The peacekeeping issues are organized using a taxonomy found in Report of the Panel on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. This study breaks down peacekeeping operations into four categories and describes the level of discussion Armed Forces & Society gives to each category. This study illustrates how the journal Armed Forces & Society, contributes to the scholarly literature of peacekeeping. Methodology: Peacekeeping is reduced to four major categories. Categories used in the content analysis include: internal characteristics, operational characteristics, authorization characteristics and the political and military context of a peacekeeping operation. The categories of peacekeeping operations are modeled on a framework derived from the United Nations' Report of the Panel on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations produced in 2000. A content analysis of articles found in the journal Armed Forces & Society from the first issue in 1974 to the October 2009 issue is used to describe the peacekeeping content. Results: This study measures and describes the frequency of discussion by Armed Forces & Society concerning peacekeeping operations. Peacekeeping categories and sub-categories are ranked to show the level of contribution made to the peacekeeping literature. Peacekeeping issues such as personnel, personnel behavior and training are discussed at length and contribute greatly to the peacekeeping discussion. Some areas of peacekeeping, such as the behavior of 3rd party actors, Security Council Mandates and the command and control of an operation are partially represented. After presenting the findings of this study recommendations are made to assist future scholars and journal leadership in contributing to the peacekeeping literature.

Description

An Applied Research Project Submitted to the Department of Political Science, Texas State University-San Marcos, in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Public Administration, Spring 2010.

Keywords

peacekeeping, content, analysis, armed forces, society, conflicting parties, sovereignty, Public Administration

Citation

Brady, C. W. (2010). A content analysis of peacekeeping issues for the Journal Armed Forces and Society. Masters of Public Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.

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