Oxford Department of International Development

Profile

Joerg Friedrichs has a theoretical interest in international relations, historical political sociology, and global governance. He combines this with an empirical focus on international security, as well as the nexus between energy resources and social change. Most of his publications have been on the transformation of the monopoly of force, with a particular focus on international police cooperation, counter-terrorism, and private force.

His PhD was awarded for a thesis on 'European Approaches to International Relations Theory' (Routledge, 2004). He has published another research monograph on 'Fighting Terrorism and Drugs: Europe and International Police Cooperation' (Routledge, 2008). His articles have appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as 'International Organization', 'European Journal of International Relations', and 'Leiden Journal of International Law'.

His teaching responsibilities are in the MSc on Global Governance and Diplomacy, where he offers courses on qualitative research methods, regional integration, and NGO politics.

Joerg Friedrichs is currently developing his research agenda in two directions: (1) Changing Uses of Force. The way force is employed is changing in various directions simultaneously: internationalization, privatization, fusion of the internal (police) and external (military) use of force, and devolution to communal social groups. These trends are examined for both industrialized and developing countries. (2) Energy Resources and Social Change. From its inception, industrial capitalism has been based on energy. A global decline in oil production ("peak oil") would lead to a variety of reactions in different parts of the world. The project examines the multiple ways by which energy resources and social change are connected.