Abstract:Abstract:This paper argues in favor of a theory and classification of armed groups that sets them at the center of political and social sciences. Starting from the problem of order, it argues that without armed groups one cannot understand how stable societies form, function and reproduce themselves. It challenges the preeminence of concepts such as class and gender, which are seen as depicting later-formed social structures. It proposes a classification of armed groups based on their permanent or impermanent … Show more
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