Dr. phil. Maéva Clément

Fachbereich 1: Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften
Seminarstraße 20
49074 Osnabrück

Raum: 15/403
Sprechzeiten: siehe Terminvergabe im Profil
Tel.: 4620
E-Mail: maeva.clement@uni-osnabrueck.de

Lehrveranstaltungen

Forschungsgebiete/Research interests

Forschungsprojekte/Research projects

The everyday politics of transforming emotions: A multi-sited analysis of community reconciliation (since 2024)

In conflict contexts where the state is unwilling or unable to provide justice and foster political change, international peacebuilding activities focus on the community level to support peace and reconciliation. In prominent scholarly, policy and practitioner discourses, reconciliation work has become equated with the notion of healing traumatized communities and fostering the cultivation of empathy. This notion also features in peacebuilding practice, as exemplified by the growing support at the UN for integrating mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) into peacebuilding interventions. This echoes broader trends in peacebuilding governance, namely a turn towards interventions at the community level (perceived as more efficient, legitimate and transformative) and the delegation of service provision to civil society organisations. The expansion of a notion of reconciliation as community healing and empathy cultivation is ambivalent. As much as it may mark an improvement of the quality of life for communities involved, it also opens to new forms of (emotional) management in peacebuilding interventions.

The project addresses this ambivalence by exploring how “community reconciliation” is known, practiced and experienced in the everyday and how it affects (gendered) power relations within communities. Drawing on interviews with a wealth of peacebuilding actors and a participatory research phase with lay people in war-affected communities in Sri Lanka and Uganda, the project advances practice-oriented research in Peace and Conflict Studies. Further, the project offers important insights for broader debates in the social sciences about the transformation of the (post-)liberal order, the role of emotions in global governance, and the centrality of everyday perspectives for understanding conflict and its transformation.

Funding: Seed funding, Osnabrück University; Researcher Mobility Award, International Network of Universities (INU) for a research visit at Stellenbosch University and field work in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2026.

>> Publication: Clément, Maéva, 2025. Versöhnung, Gender und Emotionen, Wissenschaft & Frieden, Dossier 99 “Feministische Friedensforschung”, 8-10.

Terrorism and the public(s): Reactions to terrorist attacks and escalation dynamics (2019-2022)

Systematic, comparative research on the relationship between terrorist activities and multiple public(s) is a key research gap at the intersection of political science, communication studies, and social psychology. The few existing studies hardly problematize who is included/excluded from “the public”, thus potentially equating “public opinion” with media or elite discourses. There is also hardly any research on the impact of public opinions’ reactions to terrorism on local and transnational (violent) extremist groups.

This project aimed to tackle this issue both ways. The overall goals of the project were (1) to contextualize the larger radicalization dynamics within contemporary European societies, and (2) to investigate escalation dynamics within extremist organizations and their milieus. In a longer-term perspective, the project endeavored to analyze reciprocal escalation dynamics and what might mitigate them. 

Funding: Two-year research grant acquired in May 2019 through a competitive process as part of the Helmut-Schmidt-University's "Internal Research Funding" frame. Funding actually claimed: July-September 2019 (before starting at the University of Osnabrück)

>> Main publication: Clément, Maéva, 2021. Emotions and affect in terrorism research: Epistemological shift and ways ahead. Critical Studies on Terrorism 14(2): 247-270.

Researching Emotions in International Relations (2016-2017) with Eric Sangar (Sciences Po Lille)

While emotions have become of increasing interest to IR theory, methodological challenges had yet to receive proper attention. Acknowledging the plurality of ontological positions, concepts and theories about the role of emotions in world politics, the project addressed various qualitative ways to research emotions empirically.

Eric Sangar and I co-edited the first volume to discuss the methodological implications of the ‘emotional turn’ in IR. Based on concrete research projects, scholars from all over Europe and overseas, contributed peer-reviewed chapters to an edited volume that demonstrates how social-scientific and humanities-oriented methodological approaches can be successfully adapted to study emotions and affect in IR. The volume covers a diverse set of both well-established and innovative methods, including discourse analysis, auto-ethnography, narrative, and visual analysis. Through a hands-on approach, each chapter sheds light on practical challenges and opportunities, as well as lessons learnt for future research. The volume is an invaluable resource for advanced graduate and postgraduate students as well as scholars interested in developing their own empirical research on the role of emotions and affects in world politics.

>> Main publication: Clément, Maéva, Sangar, Eric (eds.), 2018. Researching Emotions in International Relations: Methodological Perspectives on the Emotional Turn. London/New York: Palgrave/Springer.
 

Collective Emotions in Political Violence (2013-2019)

Thesis title: Islamist organizations in Western Europe: The role of collective emotions in group radicalization processes

My doctoral research focused on the role of narratives and emotions in radicalization processes at the group level. While emotion and narrative are both characteristic of human activity in general, they become particularly visible around political conflicts. Much like other political actors, Islamist organizations tell political narratives to cast their struggle in morally, politically, culturally and esthetically appealing ways. But what happens when political actors advocate and/or engage in violence? What changes at the narrative level?
In my thesis, I showed that Islamic extremist groups draw extensively on a common narrative, whose form, content, and repetitive character has made politically relevant. I argued that, through narrative activity, radicalizing groups perform, sanction and institutionalize specific collective emotions, which in turn have important consequences on the legitimation of and mobilization for political violence. However, such processes are complex and ambiguous, and not all groups perform collective emotions similarly or as intensely. These insights further contribute to the scholarships on political violence, conflict (de)escalation, and violent social movements and are relevant for practitioners and policymakers in the field of violence prevention and disengagement.

Funding: Monograph publication in open access funded by the German Research Foundation (grant number 507194873)

>> Main publication: Clément, Maéva, 2023. Collective emotions and political violence. Narratives of Islamist organisations in Western Europe. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
 

Mitarbeit an Forschungsprojekten/Participation in research projects

Beruflicher Werdegang/Work experience

Seit dem 1. September 2019: Akademische Rätin, Fachgebiet Internationale Beziehungen und Friedens- und Konfliktforschung, Universität Osnabrück

2016-2019: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin, Fachgebiet Internationale Sicherheitspolitik und Konfliktforschung, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/Universität der Bundeswehr in Hamburg
2016: Lehrbeauftragte (SoSe), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institut für Politikwissenschaft
2016: Gastwissenschaftlerin, Exzellenzcluster „Die Herausbildung normativer Ordnungen“, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main (März-Mai)
2015-2016: Lehrbeauftragte (WiSe), Université Versailles Saint-Quentin, Institut für Politikwissenschaft
2014-2016: Lehrbeauftragte (WiSe), Sciences Po Paris
2013-2015: Attachée Temporaire d'Enseignement et de Recherche (entspricht einer WiMi-Stelle in Vollzeit), Université d’Artois, France
 

Abschlüsse/Degrees

2019 Promotion, Dr. phil., Goethe Universität-Frankfurt
2010 Master International Relations, Université Paris I Sorbonne
2010 Bachelor & Master in Political Science, Sciences Po Lyon
2009 Zusatzdiplom „European Studies“, Sciences Po Lyon/Université Lyon 2
 

Auszeichnungen und Stipendien/Awards and grants

2019-2021: bewilligte Forschungsförderung, Projekt "Terrorism and the public(s)", Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg
2016: Fellowship des Excellenzclusters „Die Herausbildung normativer Ordnungen“, Goethe Universität Frankfurt
2015-2017: Dreijähriges Reisestipendium der Deutsch-Französischen Hochschule (DFH), Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
2014-2016 Auszeichnung der Region Île-de-France, Feldforschungsstipendium, Université Versailles Saint-Quentin

Monographie/Monograph

Clément, M., 2023. Collective emotions and political violence. Narratives of Islamist organisations in Western Europe. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Herausgeberschaften/Edited work

Geis, A., Clément, M., Pfeifer, H.  (eds.), 2021. Armed Non-State Actors and the Politics of Recognition. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Clément, M., Sangar, E., 2018. Researching Emotions in International Relations: Methodological Perspectives on the Emotional Turn. London/New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

– Rezension/Review: Yorke, C., 2018. Researching emotions in International Relations: Methodological perspectives on the emotional turn, International Affairs 94 (3): 657–658. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiy069

Lindemann, T., Clément M. (eds.), 2015. Introduction : Les politiques de prévention des guerres dans les crises internationales. Dynamiques Internationales 10: 1-18. (special issue)
 

Zeitschriftenartikel/Peer-reviewed articles

Clément, M., 2025. Versöhnung, Gender und Emotionen, Wissenschaft & Frieden, Dossier 99 “Feministische Friedensforschung”, 8-10.

Pfeifer, H., Geis, A., Clément, M., 2022. The politics of recognition, armed non-state actors, and conflict transformation, PRIF-Report 04/2022.

Clément, M., 2021. Emotions and affect in terrorism research: Epistemological shift and ways ahead. Critical Studies on Terrorism 14(2): 247-270.

Clément, M., Lindemann T., Sangar, E., 2017. The „Hero-Protector Narrative“: Manufacturing Emotional Consent for the Use of Force. Political Psychology. Online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pops.12385/abstract

Lindemann, T., Clément M., 2015. Introduction : Les politiques de prévention des guerres dans les crises internationales. Dynamiques Internationales 10: 1-18.

Clément, M., 2014. Al-Muhajiroun in the United Kingdom: The Role of International Non-Recognition in Heightened Radicalization Dynamics. Global Discourse 4(4): 428-443.

— Rezension/Review: Jarvis, L., 2014. Terrorism, Discourse and Analysis Thereof: A Reply to Clément, Global Discourse 4(4): 444-445.
 

Beiträge in Sammelbänden/Chapters in edited volumes

Clément, M., Koschut, S., 2024. Emotions in International Relations, in Helena Flam (ed.), Handbook in the Sociology of Emotions. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, Chapter 18, 380-399.

Clément, M., 2023. Organising Political Violence: Radicalisation and Militancy as Narrative Activity, in Beck, D., Renner-Mugono, J. (eds.), Radicalization and Variations of Violence, 15-32, Wiesbaden: Springer.

Clément, M., Sangar, E., 2022. Les engagements violents des femmes : contournements discursifs sous le nazisme et sous l’État islamique, in L. Aubry, G. Patiño-Lakatos, B. Turpin (eds.), Les discours meurtriers aujourd'hui, Paris: Peter Lang.

Sangar, E., Clément, M., Lindemann, T., 2018. Of Heroes and Cowards: A Computer-Based Analysis of Narratives Justifying the Use of Force, in Clément, M., Sangar, E. (eds), Researching Emotions in International Relations. London/New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Clément, M., Sangar, E., 2018. Introduction: Methodological Challenges and Opportunities for the Study of Emotions, in Clément, M., Sangar, E. (eds), Researching Emotions in International Relations. London/New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Clément, M. 2016. Zwischen Banalisierung und Dramatisierung. Zum Medialen Diskurs über Salafismus in Frankreich, in J.Biene und J.Junk (eds.), Salafismus und Dschihadismus in Deutschland. Herausforderungen für Politik und Gesellschaft, Epubli: Frankfurt/Main, p. 91-98.
 

Sonstige Publikationen/Other publications

Clément, M., Sangar, E., 2018. L'engagement violent féminin: Contournements discursifs sous le nazisme et sous l'État Islamique, MRSH Caen/France Culture: Full audio of a talk given at Cerisy, July 27, 46"51 minutes. Online at: MRSH Caen website

Clément, M., 2018. Political Leadership and Emotions, International Society of Political Psychology, ISPP Spring theme. Online at: ISPP Blog 

Clément, M., 2013. Radicalisation violente islamique : le rôle des émotions dans le nexus non-respect – propension à la mobilisation violente, Presentation at the 12th Conference of the French Political Science Association (AFSP). Online at: AFSP 2013

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