Conflicts and Security

As a result of globalisation, transnational immigration and mobility, societies are becoming increasingly more diverse. This frequently leads to abrupt confrontations that are related to cultural, ethical, religious, class and language differences. Research within this theme will be focussed on the urgent societal problems arising from this. For example, ethnic, religious, and employment conflicts as well as international conflicts over raw materials and water may be considered. But also smaller scale problems such as tensions between young people on housing estates or in schools, as well as conflicts between parents and children or within employment organisations. Thus, new insights can arise with respect to urgent questions such as increasing violence, safety and terror, poverty and uncertainty, international law, and the societal costs and benefits of conflicts.

This theme encompasses several different levels: personal, interpersonal, between groups, as well as the international level. It covers conflicts of interest, cognitive conflicts and normative conflicts and tries to determine the dynamics and functionality of conflicts using an interdisciplinary and comparative approach.

This programme links up with the themes of TNO and the GTIs, the foresight studies of the COS and the strategic agenda of the government departments.