FRÅN ETIKETT TILL LÖSNING? En experimentell studie och kvalitativ analys av hur experter påverkas av etikettering

Sammanfattning

This study examines how labeling and framing influence experts’ perceptions of armed conflicts and conflict resolution. The study is based on framing theory, Bargaining Theory and Social Trust Theory. The study investigates whether a conflict labeled as religious is perceived to be more difficult to resolve than the same conflict labeled as political or without any label at all. The study is conducted as a survey experiment on a sample of experts in peace and conflict, combined with a qualitative analysis of the respondents’ reasoning.The results show no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding the perceptions of the conflict’s solvability or the strategies for conflict resolution. However, the qualitative findings suggest that the label affected how the conflict was perceived. The study therefore suggests that framing among experts does not appear to affect concrete assessments of the conflict but may shape how the conflict is understood and reasoned about. The findings further indicate that expert knowledge may contribute to resistance against simplified framings. The study contributes to the research on framing and conflict resolution by highlighting the relationship between expertise, conflict perception, and labeling in the analysis of armed conflicts.