Books by John Heathershaw
'Interrogating Illiberal Peace in Eurasia' (Rowman and LIttlefield 2018) sets out a challenge to ... more 'Interrogating Illiberal Peace in Eurasia' (Rowman and LIttlefield 2018) sets out a challenge to mainstream assumptions and framings in the academic literature on peace and conflict. It not merely questions but resolutely dismisses the notion that the peacebuilding methods favoured by Western states remain the most salient in Central Eurasia. The studies showcased in the book's chapters shed light on the ways in which local and regional actors contest or transform globally promoted norms of conflict management and promote alternative ones in their place, thereby challenging the Western-led consensus known as the ‘liberal peace’. Instead, we argue that the dominant mode of conflict management in this region can be conceptualised as 'authoritarian conflict management'. This concept refers to a distinct set of norms and practices employed by political elites across three social levels - discourse, space and the economy - with the aim of establishing sustained hegemonic control over a part of society perceived to be unstable or engaged in conflict. Rather than considering local or regional actors merely as passive recipients of globally promoted norms, this framework seeks to give agency to non-liberal actors in their capacity to shape these norms and to take seriously the practices of conflict management they promote.
Introduction to book published by Pittsburgh University Press in August 2018.
Yale University Press, 2017
Published by Yale University Press (2017)
Following independence from the Soviet Union, Central ... more Published by Yale University Press (2017)
Following independence from the Soviet Union, Central Asia’s authoritarian states have consolidated in an era of liberal globalization. The region bears witness to these contrasts. Hard authoritarianism needs liberal finance. Regimes battle opponents in Western courts. Nationalist elites live global lives. Drawing on court records, financial data and investigative journalism, qualitative case studies of transnational elite practice from four of the five Central Asian states demonstrate that contemporary authoritarian regimes utilise liberal legal, financial and criminal justice mechanisms to further their own power. Cases of money laundering and extra-territorial repression are detailed and gaping holes in anti-corruption initiatives are illustrated. Particular attention is devoted to the role of intermediaries such as due diligence consultants, lawyers, lobbyists and real estate brokers in facilitating transnational practices of authoritarianism.
Attached is the introductory chapter of the book for personal use.
Routledge, Oct 1, 2012
In Djamshed Usmonov's 2005 film Farishtaii Kifti Rost [Angel on the Right], the lead character, H... more In Djamshed Usmonov's 2005 film Farishtaii Kifti Rost [Angel on the Right], the lead character, Hamro, returns to his hometown of Asht in Sughd Province after ten years in Russia, to where he had fled during the civil war leaving behind debts and enemies. Having spent time in prison, Hamro is lured back to
Post-Soviet, post-conflict Tajikistan is an under-studied and poorly understood case in conflic... more Post-Soviet, post-conflict Tajikistan is an under-studied and poorly understood case in conflict studies literature. Since 2000, this Central Asian state has seen major political violence end, countrywide order return emerge and the peace agreement between the parties of the 1990s civil war hold. Superficially, Tajikistan appears to be a case of successful international intervention for liberal peacebuilding, yet the Tajik peace is characterised by authoritarian governance.
Via discourse analysis and extensive fieldwork, including participant-observation with international organizations, the author examines how peacebuilding is understood and practised. The book challenges received wisdom that peacebuilding is a process of democratisation or institutionalisation, showing how interventions have inadvertently served to facilitate an increasingly authoritarian peace and fostered popular accommodation and avoidance strategies. Chapters investigate assistance to political parties and elections, the security sector and community development, and illustrate how transformative aims are thwarted whilst the ‘success’ is simulated for an audience of international donors. At the same time the book charts the emergence of a legitimate order with properties of authority, sovereignty and livelihoods.
Providing a radical challenge to the theoretical literature on peacebuilding and a first-ever research monograph of post-conflict peacebuilding in this under-studied Central Asian state, this book will be of interest to academics working on Peace Studies, International Relations and Central Asian Studies. 
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Books by John Heathershaw
Following independence from the Soviet Union, Central Asia’s authoritarian states have consolidated in an era of liberal globalization. The region bears witness to these contrasts. Hard authoritarianism needs liberal finance. Regimes battle opponents in Western courts. Nationalist elites live global lives. Drawing on court records, financial data and investigative journalism, qualitative case studies of transnational elite practice from four of the five Central Asian states demonstrate that contemporary authoritarian regimes utilise liberal legal, financial and criminal justice mechanisms to further their own power. Cases of money laundering and extra-territorial repression are detailed and gaping holes in anti-corruption initiatives are illustrated. Particular attention is devoted to the role of intermediaries such as due diligence consultants, lawyers, lobbyists and real estate brokers in facilitating transnational practices of authoritarianism.
Attached is the introductory chapter of the book for personal use.
Via discourse analysis and extensive fieldwork, including participant-observation with international organizations, the author examines how peacebuilding is understood and practised. The book challenges received wisdom that peacebuilding is a process of democratisation or institutionalisation, showing how interventions have inadvertently served to facilitate an increasingly authoritarian peace and fostered popular accommodation and avoidance strategies. Chapters investigate assistance to political parties and elections, the security sector and community development, and illustrate how transformative aims are thwarted whilst the ‘success’ is simulated for an audience of international donors. At the same time the book charts the emergence of a legitimate order with properties of authority, sovereignty and livelihoods.
Providing a radical challenge to the theoretical literature on peacebuilding and a first-ever research monograph of post-conflict peacebuilding in this under-studied Central Asian state, this book will be of interest to academics working on Peace Studies, International Relations and Central Asian Studies.