Peacekeeping Under Fire

Today more than ever we need an internationalist and humanist perspective on peacekeeping. In contrast to other studies that seek a technical fix to peacekeeping failures in the past, this absorbing new book, by a leading anthropologist of peace and conflict, places power and culture at the center of its analysis and recommendations.-Matthew Gutmann, Brown UniversityAn engaging book that analyses the complex world of the peacekeeper. Peacekeepers are not robots, but humans with powerful drives, motivations and sensitivities and this work seeks to address the way in which these factors play out on the world stage. If you have rarely considered the human side of peacekeeping and how it affects those whose duties require a range of response in critical environments, then this book will provide you with useful insight.-Dr. Deborah Goodwin, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst,UK Robert Rubinstein's Peacekeeping Under Fire-set in the turbulent contemporary world- is a fascinating and thought provoking investigation. Ethnographically rich and theoretically sophisticated, it is essential reading for anyone interested in peace and international security.- Carolyn Nordstrom, University of Notre DameThis book is a significant contribution to our understanding of international peacekeeping, and how it has changed in the past two decades, as well as an important demonstration of how the perspective of cultural anthropology can enrich our understanding of modern military operations.- David R. Segal, Director Center for Research on Military Organization, University of MarylandRubinstein convincingly makes the case that acknowledging the cultural dimensions of UN peacekeeping missions is not just a 'humane' and politically correct thing to do; rather, consideration of culture, especially symbolic expressions, is an essential ingredient for the effectiveness and success of peacekeeping missions.Rubinstein's Peacekeeping under Fire gives the first extensive account of how culture directly impacts peacekeeping operations and sets the stage for a new field in 21st century peacekeeping interventions.Tanja Hohe ChopraThe World Bank, Kenya