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Gudrun Østby
PhD student in Political Science at University of Oslo
Email: gudrun@prio.no
Work phone: +4722 54 77 81
Mobile phone: +47986 71 543
Profile
Research
Events
Publications
Current Research

PhD project: "Development, Horizontal Inequalities and Civil Conflict"

In the conflict literature a theoretical distinction has been drawn between ‘greed-driven’ and ‘grievance-driven’ rebellion, providing two alternative explanations for civil war: the presence of certain opportunities to form a rebel organization, and the presence of certain grievances. Inequality is among the grievance factors largely dismissed by recent large-N studies of civil war. However, such studies typically address inequality between individuals (vertical inequality), while ignoring the group aspect of human well-being and conflict. The main objective of this doctoral project is to analyze systematic inequalities between ethnic/social groups, or horizontal inequalities, as a potential cause of domestic armed conflict, and how such inequalities relate to economic growth and development. Based on national surveys, one of the major challenges of the project will be to develop a comprehensive dataset on horizontal inequalities, along 3 dimensions: economic, social and political. The analysis will involve large-N statistical event history models on the subnational level.

Languages spoken:

Norwegian, English, Spanish, some French and Kiswahili

Working experience:

Jan-April 2006: Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security (CRISE), University of Oxford

June-Dec, 2005: Book Review Editor Journal of Peace Research.

Jan 2005-: Phd Candidate/Research Fellow, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo
(maternity leave April-December, 2006 and September 2008-May 2009)

Jan 2005-: Researcher (part-time), Centre for the Study of Civil War, PRIO.

August-Dec 2004: Research Assistant, Centre for the Study of Civil War, PRIO.

2003-2004: Norwegian Red Cross Youth Delegate to Kenya Red Cross Society

Education:

Cand. Polit (equiv. MA), Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 2003.

Cand.Mag (equiv. to B.A), NTNU and Universidad de Granada (Spain), 2001 in the areas of Political Science, English, Media Science and Psychology.

External homepage: 

Please see the external homepage at the University of Oslo for more information about this person.

Events

PRIO started tracking events online in 2007. This listing is not complete. Past events may be mentioned in our news archive.
Articles
Achvarina, Vera; Ragnhild Nordås, Gudrun Østby & Siri Aas Rustad, 2009. 'Armut und die Rekrutierung von Kindersoldaten: Neue Evidenz aus einer disaggregierten Analyse der afrikanischen Regionen' [Poverty and Child Soldier Recruitment: A Disaggregated Study of African Regions], Politische Vierteljahresschrift Sonderhefte 43: 386–413.
Hegre, Håvard; Gudrun Østby & Clionadh Raleigh, 2009. 'Poverty and Civil War Events: A Disaggregated Study of Liberia', Journal of Conflict Resolution 53(4): 298–623.
Østby, Gudrun; Ragnhild Nordås & Jan Ketil Rød, 2009. 'Regional Inequalities and Civil Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa', International Studies Quarterly 53(2): 301–324.
Østby, Gudrun; Ragnhild Nordås & Jan Ketil Rød, 2009. 'Regional Inequalities and Civil Conflict in 21 Sub-Saharan African Countries', International Studies Quarterly 53(2): 301–324.
Østby, Gudrun, 2008. 'Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment and Civil Conflict: Evidence From 55 Developing Countries' in Horizontal Inequalities and Conflict: Understanding Group Violence in Multiethnic Societies. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (136–157).
Østby, Gudrun, 2008. 'Polarization, Horizontal Inequalities and Violent Civil Conflict', Journal of Peace Research 45(2): 143–162.
Daa, Mattis; Christian Fjellstad, Torbjørn L. Knutsen, Birgitte Sivertsen & Gudrun Østby, 2003. 'Jihad – en idéhistorie' [Jihad – a History of Ideas] in Blodspor : om bakgrunnen til 11. september . Olso: Cappelen.
Other
Buhaug, Halvard; Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, Helge Holtermann & Gudrun Østby, 2009. 'Poverty, Inequality, and Conflict: Using Within-Country Variation to Evaluate Competing Hypotheses', presented at 50th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, New York, NY, 15–18 February.
Buhaug, Halvard; Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, Helge Holtermann & Gudrun Østby, 2008. 'Poverty, Inequality, and Conflict: Using Within-Country Variation to Evaluate Competing Hypotheses', presented at Peace Science Society (International), Claremont, CA, 24 October.
Østby, Gudrun & Indra de Soysa, 2008. 'Too Weak to Fight? Horizontal Inequality and State Repression, 1980–2004', presented at 49th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, San Francisco, CA, 26–29 March.
Achvarina, Vera; Ragnhild Nordås, Gudrun Østby & Siri Aas Rustad, 2008. 'Regional Welfare and Child Soldier Recruitment : A Disaggregated Study of African Regions', presented at Authors' Conference, PVS-Special Issue 2009, University of Konstanz, 22–23 February.
Østby, Gudrun; Henrik Urdal & Mansoob Murshed, 2007. 'Population Pressure, Inequality and Political Violence: A Disaggregated Study of Indonesian Provinces, 1990-2003', presented at Polarization and Conflict Meeting, Palma de Mallorca, 10–12 December.
Østby, Gudrun; Håvard Hegre & Clionadh Raleigh, 2007. 'Economic Deprivation and Civil War Events: A Disaggregated Study of Liberia', presented at Polarization and Conflict Meeting, Gaillac, France, 7–9 June.
Østby, Gudrun & Henrik Urdal, 2007. 'Population Pressure, Inequality and Political Violence: A Disaggregated Study of Indonesian Provinces, 1990–2003', presented at the 48th Annual Metting of the International Studies Association, Chicago, IL, 28 February – 3 March.
Hegre, Håvard; Gudrun Østby & Clionadh Raleigh, 2007. 'Economic Deprivation and Civil War Events: A Disaggregated Study of Liberia', presented at the 48th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, Chicago, IL, 28 February–3 March.
Østby, Gudrun; Ragnhild Nordås & Jan Ketil Rød, 2006. 'Regional Inequalities and Civil Conflict in 21 Sub-Saharan Countries, 1986-2004', presented at the workshop on Polarization and Conflict (PAC), Nicosia, Cyprus, 26–29 April.
Østby, Gudrun; Ragnhild Nordås & Jan Ketil Rød, 2006. 'Regional Inequalities and Civil Conflict in 21 Sub-Saharan Countries, 1986-2004', presented at the 47th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA), San Diego, 22–25 March.
Østby, Gudrun, 2005. 'Horizontal Inequalities and Civil Conflict', presented at the 46th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI, USA, 1–5 March 2005, February.
Østby, Gudrun, 2005. 'Inequality, Institutions, and Instability: Horizontal Inequalities, Political Institutions, and Civil Conflict in Developing Countries 1986–2003', presented at the 1st PIDDCP (Political Institutions, Development and a Domestic Civil Peace), Oxford, 10–12 November.
Østby, Gudrun, 2005. 'Horizontal Inequalities and Civil Conflict', presented at the 46th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI, USA, 1–5 March 2005, February.
Østby, Gudrun, 2005. 'Horizontal Inequalities and Civil Conflict', presented at the 46th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI, USA, 1–5 March 2005, February.
Østby, Gudrun, 2005. 'Horizontal Inequalities and Civil Conflict', 13th Annual National Political Science Conference, Hurdalsjøen, Norway, 5–7 January, 2005, February.
Østby, Gudrun, 2005. 'Disaggregated Inequalities and Conflict in Developing Countries', presented at the Polarization and Conflict (PAC) Summer Meeting, Konstanz, 2–5 June.
Østby, Gudrun, 2005. 'Horizontal Inequalities and Civil Conflict', presented at the 46th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI, 1–5 March .
Østby, Gudrun, 2004. 'Do Horizontal Inequalities Matter for Civil Conflict?', presented at Polarization and Conflict (PAC) Winter Meeting, Barcelona, 10–11 December.
Østby, Gudrun, 2003. 'Horizontal Inequality and Civil War', Department of Political Science, Supervisors: Tanja Ellingsen, NTNU; Nils Petter Gleditsch, PRIO (completed 15 August, defended 5 September), NTNU. Defended 5 September.