Conflict from the bottom up: A case study using Vietnamese refugees

Traditional international relations and conflict resolution studies emphasize the role of nation-states in violent conflict and war. This thesis argues that scholars should broaden the scope of their analyses to include perspectives from the "bottom-up", that is from non-state perspectives. Analyses using previously-ignored individuals and groups, such as the Vietnamese refugees presented in this thesis, are able to significantly contribute to the understanding of conflict and of conflict resolution. These new subjects of study emphasize the proposition that traditionally ignored groups could broaden the scope of conflict analysis. The study of conflicts from this perspective requires a new methodology--ethnography. Ethnography is a qualitative, detailed data collection tool which emphasizes the contributions and reflective abilities of the informants. In this way, the nature of conflict is seen as unique and context-specific, rather than as universal. Further, individuals, such as refugees, are considered actors in conflicts, not solely as victims.