The Spatial Analysis of Peace and War

Abstract

This article uses methodological insights to argue for a reconceptualization of the way in which we approach spatial data, and specifically for a rejection of the primacy of the nation state as the unit of analysis. We pay particular attention to the way in which the analysis of data with a geographic basis is undertaken, particularly in situations where some form of data aggregation has been undertaken, and in cases where there exists a wide variation in the size of data units. This analysis explores the implications of this variation, employing the technique of spatial autocorrelation. Our study of peace and war in Africa extends previous analyses by Starr and Most, and illustrates the way in which the measurement of spatial autocorrelation can be employed as a powerful analytical tool to identify relations of conflict and cooperation. This article builds on these findings with some speculations on the ways in which further research on conflict and cooperation might proceed, in both technical and conceptual directions.