My main research focuses on public opinion in former conflict areas, including suppport for different types of peace-building mechanisms and transitional justice. I am also interested in the consequences of being exposed to political violence on public opinion.

Attitudes for Peace: Post-Conflict Public Opinion

From 2015-2018, I led a research project called Attitudes for Peace: Post-Conflict Public Opinion, funded by the Norwegian Research Council. The research team includes Helga M. Binningsbø (PRIO), Kristin M. Bakke (UCL & PRIO), and Arne H. Eide (SINTEF & NTNU).

Focusing on the interplay between institutions, violent conflict and individual attitudes, the project aimed to offer insight into the microdynamics of violent conflict, and, in particular, the individual level determinants of postwar peace. Better knowledge of ordinary people's support for postconflict political institutions, strategies implemented to end war, and political violence, provides useful guidance to policy makers, NGOs, and others on how to adapt peacebuilding strategies to local needs and attitudes, ultimately increasing the chances of building stable peace in postconflict societies.

This project set out to investigate two key relationships: (1) How do different peacebuilding strategies influence institutional trust in postwar societies? (2) What is the relation between support for postwar institutions and peace? Central to both questions is the dynamics between the institutions engineered to build peace – the peacebuilding strategies – and citizens' support for these. We argue that variations in peacebuilding strategies affect how people perceive these institutions, and that these perceptions, in turn, are closely related to whether people will support or participate in violent opposition against the government in the future.

The core part of the project was the collection and analysis of survey data in three post-conflict cases: Guatemala, Nepal, and Northern Ireland. The Post-Conflict Atttitudes for Peace (PAP) survey was fielded in 2016, and includes 3,229 respondents. In addition, extensive meso-level data (municipality; ward) have been coded for Guatemala and Nepal.

Selected publications and work in progress:

Karin Dyrstad, Kristin M. Bakke and Helga Malmin Binningsbø. 2021. ‘Perceptions of peace agreements and political trust in post-war Guatemala, Nepal, and Northern Ireland. International Peacekeeping. DOI: 10.1080/13533312.2020.1869541

Dyrstad, Karin and Solveig Hillesund. 2020. ‘Individual level determinants of post-conflict support for political violence: Motiviations and perceived opportunities’. Journal of Conflict Resolution 64(9): 1724-1753. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002720909886

Dyrstad, Karin and Helga M. Binningsbø. 2019. ‘Between punishment and impunity: Public support for reactions against perpetrators in Guatemala, Nepal, and Northern Ireland’. International Journal of Transitional Justice 13: 155–184. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijtj/ijy032.

Smidt, Martin and Karin Dyrstad. 'Environmental shocks and support for violence: Micro level evidence from Nepal'

Bakke, Kristin M., Karin Dyrstad and Helga M. Binningsbø. 'Wartime Experiences and Popular Support for Peace Agreements:
Comparative Evidence from Three Cases'.

Political trust

I have done some work on political support, e.g.,

Karin Dyrstad, Kristin M. Bakke and Helga Malmin Binningsbø. 2021. ‘Perceptions of peace agreements and political trust in post-war Guatemala, Nepal, and Northern Ireland. International Peacekeeping. DOI: 10.1080/13533312.2020.1869541

Dyrstad, Karin, and Ola Listhaug. 2017. ‘Institutional Trust in the Yugoslav Successor States: A Comparative Approach.’ In Building Democracy in the Yugoslav Successor States: Accomplishments, Setbacks, Challenges since 1990, edited by Sabrina P Ramet, Christine M. Hassenstab, and Ola Listhaug, 87–107. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dyrstad, Karin. 2015. ‘Political Support in Kosovo.’ In Civic and Uncivic Values in Kosovo: History, Politics, and Value Transformation, edited by Sabrina P. Ramet and Ola Listhaug, 323-344. Budapest: Central European University Press.

Dyrstad, Karin, and Ola Listhaug. 2013. ‘Citizens’ Confidence in European Parliaments.  Institutions and Issues.’ In Party Governance and Party Democracy, edited by Wolfgang C Müller and Hanne Marthe Narud. London: Springer.

Conflict exposure and public opinion

As a part of my PhD dissertation, I studied changes in attitudes like nationalism and authoritarianism in the former Yugoslavia.

Dyrstad, Karin, Tanja Ellingsen, and Jan Ketil Rød. 2015. ‘Ethnonationalism in Post-War Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo The Effects of Local Violence and Ethnic Composition.’ International Area Studies Review 18 (1):4–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/2233865914562081.

Karin Dyrstad. 2013. Does civil war breed authoritarian values? An empirical study of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Croatia, Democratization 20(7): 1219-1242, https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2012.688032.  

Karin Dyrstad. 2012. ‘After Ethnic Civil War: Ethno-Nationalism in the Western Balkans.’ Journal of Peace Research 49 (6):817–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343312439202.

Dyrstad, Karin, Halvard Buhaug, Kristen Ringdal, Albert Simkus, and Ola Listhaug. 2011. ‘Microfoundations of Civil Conflict Reconciliation: Ethnicity and Context.’ International Interactions 37 (February 2013):363–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050629.2011.622627.

Global health

My research in this area is centered around access to health care for vulnerable groups. Among other things, I was part of the research project GeoHealthAccess, funded by Norwegian Research Council, hosted at SINTEF, and led by Arne H. Eide.

Selected publications:

Eide, Arne H. and Karin Dyrstad. 2019. ‘PTSD as a consequence of past conflict experience, recent exposure to violence and economic marginalization in postconflict contexts: A study from Nepal, Guatemala and Northern Ireland’. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 65(6): 488-495. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764019858122.

Eide, Arne H., Karin Dyrstad, Alister Munthali, Gert Van Rooy, Stine H. Braathen, Thomas Halvorsen, Frans Persendt, Peter Mvula, and Jan Ketil Rød. 2018. ‘Combining survey data, GIS and qualitative interviews in the analysis of health service access for persons with disabilities.’ BMC International Health and Human Rights 18 (26): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-018-0166-2.  

Visagie, Surona, Arne H. Eide, Karin Dyrstad, Hasheem Mannan, Leslie Swartz, Marguerite Schneider, Gubela Mji, et al. 2017. ‘Factors Related to Environmental Barriers Experienced by Persons with and without Disabilities in Diverse African Settings.’ PLoS ONE 12 (10):1-14. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186342.

Dyrstad, Karin, Thomas. Halvorsen, Karl-Gerhard Hem, and Tarald Rohde. 2016. ‘Sick of Waiting: Does Waiting for Elective Treatment Cause Sickness Absence?’ Health Policy 120 (12):1383-1388. https://10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.10.004.

Eide, Arne H., Hasheem Mannan, Mustafa Khogali, Gert Van Rooy, Leslie Swartz, Alister Munthali, Karl Gerhard Hem, Malcolm MacLachlan, and Karin Dyrstad. 2015. ‘Perceived Barriers for Accessing Health Services among Individuals with Disability in Four African Countries.’ PLoS ONE 10 (5): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125915.