Intrusive Impartiality

What does ‘impartiality’ mean in the context of peace operations? In this superb volume, Marion Laurence breaks new ground by examining impartiality not as a fixed norm, but as an evolving set of practices performed * and continuously reinterpreted, for better or worseby peacekeeping practitioners on the ground. Her account is fascinating, convincing, and wonderfully clear.Roland Paris, Director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa *This book is practice theory at its best: building on rich case studies based on comprehensive fieldwork and a solid research design, Laurence provides an innovative and thought-provoking take on the nexus between practices and norms. To the benefit of scholars and practitioners alike, she brilliantly demonstrates that the practice of impartiality in United Nations peace operations is evolving in partial disconnect with international norms and institutions. * Vincent Pouliot, James McGill Professor in the Department of Political Science, McGill University *

Marion Laurence is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Dalhousie University. Her research interests include IR theory, global security governance, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and the political sociology of international organizations. Her research has been supported by grants and fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the International Studies Association, Global AffairsCanada, the Department of National Defence, and the Ontario government.