The politics of legitimacy of armed groups

非国家武装团体（NSAG）是当代战争的核心角色。他们对针对平民的暴力行为和国家的衰败负有责任。在学术和公共辩论中，这些团体往往只是被贴上罪犯或恐怖分子的标签，而不争取承认或合法性。然而，从1945年以来这类团体的历史记录中，我们发现有足够的证据表明，国家空间局希望在国际政治中获得合法性，而且它们经常获得承认。但迄今为止，还没有任何系统的研究工作来研究国家空间局集团如何成功地获得国际合法性。设想的项目首先假设国家空间局实行“合法政治”，即使程度不同。他们争取被承认为合法行为者。本项目的目标是查明、测试和区分国家空间局这种合法性政治的因果机制。其研究问题是：国家空间局如何使自己合法化，它们在国际政治中取得承认效果的因果机制是什么？设想的项目分为三个阶段：在第一阶段，将制定一个理论框架，以具体说明和操作合法性政治的因果机制。在第二阶段，将在四个定性案例研究（安哥拉、西撒哈拉、叙利亚和阿富汗）中通过进程追踪对这些机制进行测试。在第三阶段，将对照更大的案例样本检查因果机制的有效范围。在此，国际项目合作伙伴将通过自己的定性案例研究为项目做出贡献。在理论方面，该项目有望在国家空间局的政治社会学和一般国际关系方面取得进展。从经验上讲，它将扩大我们对使国家空间局的想法和行动形式合法化的了解。从方法上讲，该项目建立在社会科学因果机制研究和过程跟踪的最新创新之上。作为对和平与冲突研究的贡献，它将提出见解，帮助国际行为者更准确地对国家空间局的政治所产生的政治要求作出反应。

Non-state armed groups (NSAG) are central actors in contemporary wars. They are held responsible for violent acts against civilians and for the decay of states. In academic and public debates such groups are often just labeled as criminals or terrorists that do not strive for recognition or legitimacy. In the historical record of such groups since 1945, however, we find sufficient evidence to believe that NSAG want to acquire legitimacy in international politics and that they oftentimes achieve recognition. But hitherto, there has not been any systematic research effort to study how NSAG succeed in gaining international legitimacy. The envisaged project starts with the assumption that NSAG practice „legitimacy politics“, even if to various degrees. They strife for recognition as legitimate actors. The objective of this project is to identify, to test, and to differentiate causal mechanisms of such legitimacy politics of NSAG. Its research question is: How do NSAG legitimate themselves and what are the causal mechanisms with which they achieve recognition effects in international politics? The envisaged project is divided into three phases: in a first phase a theoretical framework shall be developed in order to specify and operationalize causal mechanisms of legitimacy politics. In a second phase, these mechanisms shall be tested through process tracing in four qualitative case studies (Angola, Western Sahara, Syria and Afghanistan). In a third phase the validity range of the causal mechanisms shall be checked against a larger sample of cases. Here, the international project partners shall contribute to the project with their own qualitative case studies. With regard to theory, this project promises advances in the political sociology of NSAG and of international relations generally. Empirically, it will enlarge our knowledge on legitimizing ideas and forms of action of NSAG. Methodically, this project builds on recent innovations in the causal mechanism studies and process tracing in social sciences. As a contribution to peace and conflict studies, it shall produce insights which can help international actors to react more precisely to the political requirements resulting from the politics of NSAG.