Ethnic Conflict: A Systematic Approach to Cases of Conflict

by Neal G. Jesse, Kristen P. Williams

Overview

As ethnic groups clash, the international community faces the challenge of understanding the multiple causes of violence and formulating solutions that will bring about peace. Allowing for greater insight, Jesse and Williams bridge two sub-fields of political science in Ethnic Conflict—international relations and comparative politics. They systematically apply a "levels of analysis" framework, looking at the individual, domestic, and international contexts to better explore and understand its complexity. Five case study chapters apply the book’s framework to disputes around the world and include coverage of Bosnia, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Sudan. Never losing sight of their analytical framework, the authors provide richly detailed case studies that help students understand both the unique and shared causes of each conflict.

Students will appreciate the book’s logical presentation and excellent pedagogical features including detailed maps that show political, demographic, and cultural data.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483316758
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/09/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	432
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Neal G. Jesse is chair and associate professor of political science at Bowling Green State University. His research on Britain, Ireland, electoral systems, party systems, and ethnic conflict has appeared in journals such as Electoral Studies, International Political Science Review, International Studies Quarterly, Political Psychology, New Hibernia Review/Iris Éireannach Nua, and Representation. His books include Identity and Institutions: Conflict Reduction in Divided Societies, co-authored with Kristen Williams.

Kristen P. Williams is associate professor of government and international relations at Clark University. Her books include: Despite Nationalist Conflicts: Theory and Practice of Maintaining World Peace; Identity and Institutions: Conflict Reduction in Divided Societies (co-authored with Neal Jesse); Women, the State, and War: A Comparative Perspective on Citizenship and Nationalism (co-authored with Joyce P. Kaufman); and World Politics in a New Era, 4th Edition (co-authored with Steven Spiegel, Jennifer Taw, and Elizabeth Matthews). She is completing a book with Joyce P. Kaufman, What Happened to the Women? A Study of Women’s Political Activism(forthcoming).

Table of Contents

Maps and Tables xi

Preface xiii

1 Ethnic Conflict and Approaches to Understanding It 1

Defining Our Terms 4

Gender, Ethnicity, and Nationalism 6

Ethnic and National Conflicts 7

Typology of Ethnic Groups 8

Theories of Ethnicity/Nationalism 10

Primordialism 10

Constructivism 11

Instrumentalism 11

Modernization 12

International Relations and Ethnic Conflict 15

Realism 15

Liberalism/Liberal Institutionalism 18

Constructivism 19

Conclusion 21

2 Levels of Analysis and Ethnic Conflict 31

Individual Level 31

Political Leadership 32

Elites and Ethnic Conflict 34

Elites and Resolving Ethnic Conflict 37

Domestic Level 38

Domestic Level Theories: Interests, Powers, and Organization 39

Domestic Level Causes of Ethnic Conflict: Why They Fight 44

Domestic Level Responses to Violence: The State and Institutions 50

International Level 61

International Level Actors in Ethnic Conflict 63

International Level Factors as a Means to Manage and Settle Ethnic Conflicts 65

Limitations of International Responses to End Internal Ethnic Conflict 74

Conclusion 75

3 Northern Ireland: Protestants, Catholics, and "The Troubles" 93

Northern Ireland in Historical Context 94

The Creation of Northern Ireland 94

From the Creation of Northern Ireland to the Present 95

Individual Level 100

Northern Ireland and Leadership Theories 100

Gerry Adams and the Reverend Ian Paisley 101

John Hume and David Trimble 105

George Mitchell 107

Domestic Level 109

Communities and Identities 109

Consociational Institutions and Ethno-Nationalist Conflict 113

Gendered Nationalism and Northern Ireland 115

The Participation of the British Government 118

International Level 122

Ireland (and the Republic of Ireland) 122

The Involvement of the United States 126

European Union 131

Conclusion 132

4 Bosnia: War in the Balkans 141

Bosnia in Historical Context 143

Individual Level 147

Slobodan Milosevic 148

Franjo Tudjman 153

Alija Izetbegovic 155

Ethnic Outbidding 157

Domestic Level 159

Public Opinion, Parties, and Elections 159

Criminals and Militias 161

Media, Intellectuals, and the Democratization Process 162

Gendered Nationalism 164

Economic and Political Conditions and the Ethnic Balance of Power 165

Religion and Nationalism 166

International Level 168

Responding to the Outbreak of War 168

Peace Plans 169

Postwar Bosnia 172

International Actors and Agreements 172

Political Institutions 174

Conclusion 176

5 Sudan: Arabs versus Africans and Darfur in Crisis 189

The Darfur Crisis in Historical Context 191

Individual Level 196

Omar Hassan al-Bashir 196

John Garang de Mabior (SPLA) 199

Domestic Level 201

Communities and Identities 201

Gendered Nationalism 204

Ethno-Nationalist Conflict and Domestic Political Institutions 206

Nongovernmental Domestic Actors 210

International Level 214

Military Supply of the Sudanese Government 215

European Union Arms Embargo 216

United States 216

International Condemnation 217

African Union 218

Other International Involvement: Some Minor Actors 219

Conclusion 220

6 Sri Lanka: Protracted Rebellion 233

The Sri Lankan Crisis in Historical Context 234

Colonialism 236

Civil War 242

Individual Level 245

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga 246

Velupillai Prabhakaran 248

Ethnic Outbidding 249

Domestic Level 249

Communities and Identities 250

Competing Ideas of State Formation 252

Consociationalism versus the Hegemonic State in Sri Lanka 253

Negotiating from Power Balance or Power Asymmetry 255

Economic Roots of the Conflict 256

Gendered Nationalism in Sri Lanka 256

International Level 258

Sri Lanka's Importance to the Cold War and Post-Cold War World 259

International Intervention 261

India and Noncoercive Intervention 262

Norway's Role in the Peace Process 265

NGOs and IGOs 266

Conclusion 268

7 Israel and Palestine: Two Peoples, One Land 281

Israel and Palestine in Historical Context 285

Conflict over the Land 286

Attempts at Peace 288

Individual Level 292

Yitzhak Rabin 293

Ehud Barak 296

Yasser Arafat 297

Extremists, Spoilers, and Ethnic Outbidding 299

Domestic Level 301

Nationalism and National Identity 301

Gendered Nationalism 306

Political Parties 309

Public Opinion 312

Israel as Hegemonic Democracy/Ethnocracy 313

Economic and Political Factors in the Occupied Territories 314

International Level 316

United States 316

United Nations 319

Norway 320

European Union 322

Conclusion 323

8 Conclusion 339

Revisiting Theories of Ethnicity and Nationalism 340

International Relations Theories on Ethnic Conflict 341

Levels of Analysis 342

Individual Level 342

Domestic Level 344

International Level 348

Conclusion 350

Bibliography 353

Index 387