Introduction

Explanations which underline the relevance of context often stress the spatial and temporal connections of a phenomenon. But alternative explanations usually coexist that downplay such factors. In this chapter I introduce two such contrasting theoretical frameworks. Diffusion models focus on environmental factors; as the name diffusion implies, this theory suggests that outside factors determine behavior. Rational actor models, on the other hand, focus on the individual, her beliefs and preferences, in order to explain actions and downplay environmental factors. These two major theoretical approaches serve to orient the discussion of different aspects of contextual analysis, and as such they will be constant companions in the chapters to come.

Rather than just discuss these theories in general I shall focus on their application to the study of war – war expansion in particular – in order to motivate and illustrate the differences between the two theories.