Overview

Why are some multiethnic countries more prone to civil violence than others? This book examines the occurrence and forms of conflict in multiethnic states. It presents a theory that explains not only why ethnic groups rebel but also how they rebel. It shows that in extremely unequal societies, conflict typically occurs in non-violent forms because marginalized groups lack both the resources and the opportunities for violent revolt. In contrast, in more equal, but segmented multiethnic societies, violent conflict is more likely. The book traces the origins of these different types of multiethnic states to distinct experiences of colonial rule. Settler colonialism produced persistent stratification and far-reaching cultural and economic integration of the conquered groups, as, for example, in Guatemala, the United States, or Bolivia. By contrast, in decolonized states, such as Iraq, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka, in which independence led to indigenous self-rule, the colonizers' ""divide and rule"" policies resulted in deeply segmented post-colonial societies. Combining statistical analyses with case studies based on original field research in four different countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, Vogt analyzes why and how colonial legacies have led to peaceful or violent ethnic movements.

Full Product Details

9780190065904

Table of Contents

Reviews

Scholars have long wondered what determines whether aggrieved ethnic groups mobilize violently, peacefully or not at all. Vogt's parsimonious theory explains how historically defined between-group hierarchization and social integration condition group mobilization strategies. Analysis of an impressive collection of original data across a large variety of ethnic organizations and in-depth country studies complement and enhance the theoretical account. This book is a solid contribution to the burgeoning literature considering the strategies selected by ethnic groups to further their political goals. -- J hanna Krist n Birnir, University of Maryland Mobilization and Conflict in Multiethnic States encourages us to profoundly rethink the link between inequality and conflict. While much of the literature has focused mostly on unranked societies, this important book shows that the conventional wisdom does not extend to highly unequal political systems. Indeed, in ranked societies, ethnic mobilization may improve, rather than undermine, the chances of peace. Manuel Vogt backs up this crucial insight with a powerful, mixed-methods research design that builds on painstaking field research in Latin America and West Africa. -- Lars-Erik Cederman, ETH Z rich Whereas the cause of civil war violence has often been attributed to institutional factors such as democratic deficits, Vogt boldly argues-on the basis of new cross-national data at a global scale, as well as a number of African and Latin American case studies-that its roots instead derive from the internal colonialism of settler colonies. This book gives new life to structural explanations of intergroup violence. -- Michael Hechter, Arizona State University

Author Information

Manuel Vogt is Associate Professor of Political Science at University College London (UCL). His research and teaching interests stand at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics, with a particular focus on contentious politics in developing countries. His work is informed by both quantitative and qualitative methods and draws on profound regional expertise acquired, above all, through field research in both Latin America (Guatemala and Ecuador) and Sub-Saharan Africa (C�te d'Ivoire and Gabon).

Tab Content 6

Countries Available