Bio: (1930-2024) Norwegian sociologist and peace activist. Galtung received his doctorate from the University of Oslo. He lectured at several universities, including Columbia University, University of Oslo, University of Hawaii, and  International Islamic University Malaysia. Galtung is recognized as the founder of the interdisciplinary field of peace studies, as he was instrumental in the founding of the Peace Research Institute Oslo  (PRIO) in 1959. Galtung also founded (in 1964) and was the editor of the Journal of Peace Research, which was published by the institute.  

Galtung, inspired by Gandhi’s pacifist ethics, defines peace not simply as the absence of direct violence, but as the absence of anything that prevents human self-realization. He expands the concept of violence to include structural violence—harm embedded in social, political, and economic systems that restrict people from meeting their basic needs. Thus, self-realization necessitates fulfillment of human needs, which can be physiological, economic, ecological, or spiritual. He identifies four types of violence: direct physical harm, material deprivation (“misery”), loss of freedoms (“repression”), and social disconnection (“alienation”). The last three together form structural violence, which can exist without a visible perpetrator. Structural violence is, in fact, built into the socio-political and economic order itself. The goal of peace research is to understand and formulate solutions for the dismantling of structural violence.

In the article “A structural theory of imperialism” (1971), Galtung applies the idea of structural violence to global politics through a theory of imperialism. He defines imperialism as a structural relationship of multidimensional dominance (political, economic, military, cultural, and communicational), not just economic, as previous theories of imperialism did. According to Galtung, the world is divided into “Centre” and “Periphery” nations, with inequalities maintained through unequal exchanges and limited interaction among poorer nations. This structure is reinforced internally within countries, making resistance difficult and sustaining global inequality. Relations between the countries of the Centre are in harmony of interest, while relations between the Centre and Periphery are in disharmony of interest, or conflict of interest. Two mechanisms are particularly important for generating and maintaining imperialism. The first mechanism is vertical interaction relations through wich Periphery exports cheap raw materials to the Centre, which, via industrial processing of raw materials, produces more expensive manufactured goods and achieves the economic multiplier effect. The second mechanism is a global feudal interaction structure, which relates to a state in which the Centre monopolises economic interactions between the Periphery and other nations. Unlike Marxist theories, Galtung’s approach is broader and less focused purely on economics. As answers to overcoming imperialism, Galtung rejects both violent socialist revolutions and the model propagated by modernization theory, which states that poor nations should simply imitate the developmental path of wealthy nations. Instead, he advocates de-feudalisation - reducing dependence, increasing cooperation among poorer countries, and dismantling hierarchical global structures.

Galtung contrasts “alpha” societies (modern, bureaucratic, industrial, fragmented, and alienating) with ideal “beta” societies (small, community-based, and cooperative) where there is no structural violence or alienation. The relation between members of beta societis would be based on closeness and moral obligations, while the economy would be self-reliant, with a low division of labour and focused on fulfilling the actual needs of the members. This type of economy would reject ‘overdevelopment’ and environmental degradation. In his book The True Worlds: A Transnational Perspective (1980), he argues that achieving “positive peace” requires transforming social structures—moving away from exploitative systems, strengthening community, and addressing the root causes of violence rather than blaming individuals.

Main works

„A structural theory of aggression”, in Journal of Peace Research  (1964);

Theory and Methods of Social Research (1967);

Violence, Peace and Peace Research (1969);

“A structural theory of imperialism”, in Journal of Peace Research (1971);

Members of Two Worlds (1971);

Peace, violence and imperialism (1974)

Peace, Research, Education, Action (1975);

Peace, War and Defence (1976);

Essays in Methodology (1977);

Learning from China? (1977);

Peace and Social Structure (1978);

Papers on Methodology (1979);

Peace and World Structure (1980);

Peace Problems: Some Case Studies (1980);

The True Worlds: A Transnational Perspective (1980);

“A structural theory of imperialism: 10 years later”, in Millennium: Journal of International Studies (1981);  

There are Alternatives! Four Roads to Peace and Security (1984);

‘Twenty-five years of peace research: ten challenges and some responses’, in Journal of Peace Research (1985);  

Methodology and Development (1988);

Transarmament and the Cold War (1988);

Europe in the Making (1989);

Global Glasnost: Toward a New World Information and Communication Order? (1992);

Peace By Peaceful Means: Peace and Conflict, Development and Civilization (1996);

50 Years: 100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives (2008);

Democracy – Peace – Development (2008);

Globalizing God: Religion, Spirituality and Peace (2008).