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Professor Christian Olsson

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Director of REPI
International Relations, War, Conflicts, Security, international political sociology, historical sociology of security practices, contemporary military doctrine, non-state armed groups, private military companies.

Biography

Professor Christian Olsson is Associate Professor in IR at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). He is director of its REPI (Recherche et Études en Politique Internationale) research unit in international relations as well as of its OMAM (Observatoire des Mondes Arabes et Musulmans) observatory of the Arab and Muslim worlds. He is member of the CREG (Centre de recherche sur l’expérience de guerre). He is associate editor of French journal of international political sociology Cultures & Conflits. Drawing in particular on (critical) security studies and sociological approaches, his research focuses on the colonial genealogies of contemporary military doctrine, the historical sociology of security practices and the role of private military companies in recent overseas military interventions, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq where he has carried out field-research. His recent publications include: ‘“Legitimate Violence” in the Prose of Counterinsurgency: An Impossible Necessity?’ (Alternatives: Global, Local, Political, May 2013). He is currently working on the internationalization of non-state armed groups. Recent work has been published in Critical Military Studies, Millenium, Cultures & Conflits and PArtecipazione e COnflitto.

  • Associate Professor (Tenured), Politics and International Relations, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
  • Member of “Research and Teaching in International Politics” (REPI/ ULB) research unit and of the Observatory of the Arab and Muslim World (OMAM, Maison des Sciences Humaines/ ULB).
  • Associate editor of Francophone journal of international political sociology Cultures & Conflits. 

Research presentation

1°) Theoretical aspects:

  • Historical sociology of the State (Elias, Tilly, Bourdieu, etc.) and theory of international relations;
  • The legitimisation of violence and the sociology of conflict;
  • Critical safety studies, mapping of safety practices.

 

2°) Empirical fields:

  • Military doctrine and thinking (United States, France, United Kingdom) relating to “external pacification” missions (counter-insurgency, stabilisation, etc.);
  • the privatisation of security in the context of external operations: private military companies…;
  • Several field studies in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Education

  • 2009: PhD in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris (CERI) under the supervision of Didier Bigo (KCL/ Sciences Po Paris); highest distinction; title: The Use and Legitimization of  Force in the Context of Overseas Military Operations – The US, British and French Military in  Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq (600 p.).
  • 2003-2009: PhD candidate in Political Sciences/ International Relations at the IEP de Paris/ Sciences Po,  France.
  • 2001-2002: Master (DEA) in International Relations at Sciences Po Paris, France.
  • 2000-2001: linguistic program (German) at the University of Vienna, Austria.
  • 1997-2000: Sciences Po Paris; Diploma of Sciences Po; Highest distinction: « Laureate and Congratulations of the Jury » (Lauréat et félicitations du jury).

Membership in Academic Associations

  • Member of International Studies Association (ISA), section: International Political Sociology; since 2004.
  • Member of European International Studies Association (EISA) since 2015.
  • Member of the Centre d’Etudes sur les Conflits, Liberté, Sécurité since 2015.
  • Member of the Francophone network of Research on Peace Operations (ROP; University of Montreal)
  • Member of European Consortium on Political Research (ECPR) between 2015-2016.
  • Member of ESRC-funded “International Collaboratory on Critical Methodologies in Security Studies” (Open University, UK) between 2010 and 2014.
  • Member of French Association of Sociology (AFS), permanent working group 45: “Sociology of conflicts” between 2008 and 2010.
  • Member of French & Belgian Association of Political Sciences (ABSP & AFSP) in 2010-2011.
  • Until 2010: Member of “Critical Approaches to Security in Europe” (CASE) network.

Selected Publications

  • Christian Olsson, « Coercion and Capital in Afghanistan: The Rise, Transformation & Fall of the Afghan Commercial Security Sector » in J. Berndtsson & C. Kinsey, The Ashgate Research Companion to Outsourcing Security: The Role of the Market in 21st Century Warfare, Aldershot: Ashgate, Forthcoming 2015
  • Christian Olsson, “Wars among Nation-States: Patterns and Causes”. In: James D. Wright (ed), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, Vol 25. Oxford: Elsevier, 2015, pp. 420–427
  • Christian Olsson, “Between Transition and Transnationalism: The Spatial and Temporal Ramifications of Contemporary Armed Conflicts”, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding (Taylor & Francis), vol 8, n°1, 2014, 91-99.
  • Christian Olsson, “‘Legitimate Violence’ in the Prose of Counterinsurgency : an Impossible Necessity?””, Alternatives: Global, Local, Political (Sage), vol 38, n°2, 2013, p. 155-171 (article dans revue scientifique internationale à comité de lecture)
  • Christian Olsson, “France: Making Both Ends Meet?” in Leander, Anna (ed) Commercialising Security: Political Consequences for European Military Operations, London & New York: Routledge, 2013, p.141-160 (partie d’ouvrage collectif)
  • Thierry Balzacq, Tugba Basaran, Didier Bigo, Emmanuel-Pierre Guittet & Christian Olsson, “Security Practices” in Robert A Denemark (éd.) International Studies Encyclopedia (ISA Compendium). Blackwell Publishing, 2010 (partie d’ouvrage collectif)
  • Gilles Dorronsoro, Christian Olsson & Raphaël Pouyé,  Insurrection/ Contre-insurrections: éléments d’analyse sociologique à partir des terrains afghan et irakien, Paris: IRSEM, 2012 (ouvrage publié en collaboration)

Books

  • Bigo, L. Bonelli, D. Chi and C. Olsson (2008)The Field of the EU’s Security Agencies, Paris: l’Harmattan.
  • Christian Olsson (2007), “Guerre totale et force minimale, Histoire et paradoxes des ‘cœurs et des esprits’” [Total War and Minimum Force: History and paradoxes of the « Heart and Minds], Cultures & Conflits, n°67: 35-63.
  • Christian Olsson et Pauline Vermeren (2007), “Editorial – militaires et engagements extérieurs : à la conquête des cœurs et des esprits ? ” [The Military in Overseas Operations : Conquering Hearts and  Minds ?], Cultures & Conflits, n°67: 7-13.
  • Christian Olsson & C.a.s.e. collective (2006) “Critical Approaches to Security in Europe: A  Networked Manifesto”, Security Dialogue, 37(4): 443-487.
  • Didier Bigo and Christian Olsson (2004) “Refuser le silence et sortir de l’impunité, retour sur Guantanamo” [Refusing to be Silenced, Escaping Impunity: Guantanamo in Retrospect], Cultures et Conflits n°56: 71-81.
  • Christian Olsson (2003), “Vrais procès et faux débats : perspectives critiques sur les argumentaires de légitimation des entreprises militaires privées” [True Trials and False Debates : Critical Perspectives on the Legitimizing Arguments of Private Military Companies], Cultures et Conflits, n°52: 11-48.

Chapters in Edited Books

  • Sinisa Malesevic and Christian Olsson, “Chapter 43: War” in William Outhwaite and Stephen P. Turner (eds), The Sage Handbook of Political Sociology, Sage (forthcoming 2017).
  • Entry “ennemi” in Benoît Durieux, Pierre Hassner et Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer (eds), Dictionnaire de la guerre et de la paix, Paris : Presses Universitaires de France (« Qadrige Dicos » Series. Forthcoming 2017).
  • Philippe Bonditti and Christian Olsson (2016) “Violence, War and Security Knowledge: Between Theoretical Practices and Practical Theories” in T. Basaran, D. Bigo, E.-P. Guittet, R.B.J. Walker (eds.), International Political Sociology – Transversal Lines, London: Routledge: 228-253.
  • Christian Olsson (2016) « Coercion and Capital in Afghanistan: The Rise, Transformation & Fall of the Afghan Commercial Security Sector » in J. Berndtsson & C. Kinsey (eds.), The Routledge Research Companion to Outsourcing Security, NY & London: Routledge: 41-51.
  • Christian Olsson and Gustavo G. Müller (2015), “Interregional or Intraregional? On EU-NATO Comprehensiveness in Afghanistan and Somalia” In: M. Telò, L. Fawcett & F. Ponjaert (eds), Interregionalism and The European Union: A Post-Revisionist Approach to Europe’s Place in a Changing World , Aldershot: Ashgate: 307-324.
  • Christian Olsson (2015) “Wars among Nation-States: Patterns and Causes”. In: James D. Wright (ed), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, Vol 25. Oxford: Elsevier: 420–427.
  • Victoria Loughlan, Christian Olsson and Peer Schouten (2014) “Mapping” in Cl. Aradau, J. Huysmans, A. Neal, N. Voelkner (ed) Critical Security Methods: New Frameworks for Analysis, London: Routledge: 23-56.
  • Christian Olsson (2014) “‘Operation Infinite Justice’ comme métaphore : sens et pertinence de la métaphore policière dans le cadre des interventions militaires contemporaines” [Operation Infinite Justice as Metaphor : Meaning and Relevance of the Police Metaphor in Contemporary Military Operations], Bannelier, Karine & Pison, Cyrille (Eds) Le recours à la force autorisé par le Conseil de Sécurité : droit et responsabilité, Paris : Pédone : 147-158.
  • Christian Olsson (2013) “France: Making Both Ends Meet? ” in Leander, Anna (ed) Commercialising Security: Political Consequences for European Military Operations, London & New York: Routledge: 141-160.
  • Bastien Irondelle and Christian Olsson (2011) “La privatisation de la guerre : le cas anglo américain” [The Privatization of War : the Anglo-American Case] in C. Malis, D. Danet, H. Strachan (dir), La Guerre irrégulière, Paris : Economica,: 113-143.
  • Christian Olsson (2011), “Répression et ‘radicalisation violente’ : une perspective relationnelle sur l’usage de la force dans les opérations extérieures de ‘pacification’” [Repression and ‘violent radicalization’ : a relational perspective on the use of force in overseas military operations] in S. Schehr, M. Klinger (Eds.) Lectures du Conflit, Strasbourg, Néothèque: 129-148.
  • Didier Bigo, Philippe Bonditti and Christian Olsson (2010) “Mapping the European Field of Security Professionals”, in D. Bigo, S. Carrera, E. Guild, R. Walker, Europe’s 21st Century Challenge, London: Ashgate: 49-65.
  • Th. Balzacq, T. Basaran, D. Bigo, E-P. Guittet, C. Olsson (2010). “Security Practices” in R. A. Denemark (ed.) International Studies Encyclopedia Online. Blackwell Publishing: 1-30.
  • Christian Olsson (2009) “Régimes juridiques et régulation des mobilités dans l’Union européenne” [Legal Regimes and the Regulation of Mobilities at the EU level ] in C. Jaffrelot and C. Lequesne (ed.) L’enjeu mondial : les migrations, Paris, Les Presses de Sciences Po: 53-63.
  • Christian Olsson (2008) “Military Interventions and the Concept of the Political: Bringing the Political Back into the Relations between External Forces and Local Societies” in D. Bigo, A. Tsoukala (eds.), Terror, Liberty and Security: illiberal practices of illiberal regimes, London, Routledge: 146-178.
  • Christian Olsson (2008) “Afghanistan et Irak. Les origines coloniales des guerres anti-terroristes” [Afghanistan and Iraq. The Colonial Origins of Anti-Terrorist Wars] in D. Bigo, L. Bonelli and T. Deltombe (ed)  La guerre globale contre le terrorisme, Paris, la Découverte : 49-62.

Other articles (including book-reviews)

  • Christian Olsson (2014) « Book Review : Bastien Irondelle, La réforme des armées en France. Sociologie de la décision », European Review of International Studies (ERIS), 1(2) : 159-164.
  • Christian Olsson (2014), “Warfare and Recognition in IR: On the Potential Input of the Historical Sociology of the State”, Global Discourse (Taylor & Francis), 4(2): 1-4 (Book Symposium).
  • Christian Olsson and Stephan Davidshofer (2009) “Europe’s Defence Dimension and the UN”, Défense  Nationale et Sécurité Collective English Edition, February: 58-65.
  • Christian Olsson and T. Garcia-Berrio (2005) “Los nuevos desafios a la seguridad: Perspectivas criticas en el debate sobre la legitimacion de las practicas contemporaneas de coercion militar para-privada ante los Derechos Humanos”, Anuario de Derechos Humanos, October.
  • Christian Olsson (2009) “Les relations houleuses entre SMP et tenants de la contre-insurrection” [The Tumultuous Relations between PMCs and Counter-insurgency Theoreticians], Sécurité Globale, June: 67-80.
  • Christian Olsson (2009) “La contre-insurrection otanienne en Afghanistan : ruptures et continuités à ‘l’ère d’Obama’” [ NATOs Counterinsurgency Strategy in Afghanistan : Changes and Continuities of the ‘Obama Era’ ], Politique Américaine, n°13, spring-summer: 65-80. 

Reports

  • Y. Braem, A. de Hoop Scheffer, C. Olsson & R. Pouyé (2008)Lerôle des militaires dans la reconstruction d’Etat après les conflits [The Role of the Military in Post-Conflict Statebuilding], Paris: C2SD.
  • with the Centre d’études sur les conflits, Le rôle des militaires dans la lutte contre le terrorisme [The Role of the Military in the Fight against Terrorism], Paris: C2SD, 2008

 

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