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Interethnic competition in plural societies is often characterized by a ‘counterbalance’ of political and economic strength between different groups. In such cases, tensions emerge as politically dominant groups fear loss of hegemony to more economically aggressive groups. Likewise, economically successful groups require key public goods and a political atmosphere conducive to investment. These social relations are couched in terms of ethnic mythologies that stress the indigenous role of one group, and consequently its superior political status. This book develops a model that explains how and why interethnic bargains between rival groups can erode given different institutional configurations. It is hypothesized that interethnic conflict is more likely in countries where political institutions fail to insulate the political hegemony of traditionally dominant ethnic communities and redistributive programs fail to improve the economic position of ethnic majorities. In such cases, outbidding strategies by more extreme ethnic leaders are more successful and violence becomes more likely. Conflict and Cooperation in Multi-Ethnic States will be of interest to students of ethnic conflict, Asian politics and security studies.
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Conflict and Cooperation in Multi-Ethnic States
Inter-ethnic competition in plural societies is often characterized by a “counterbalance” of political and economic strength between different groups. In such cases, tensions emerge as politically dominant groups fear loss of hegemony to more economically aggressive groups. Likewise, economically successful groups require key public goods and a political atmosphere conducive to investment. These social relations are couched in terms of ethnic mythologies that stress the indigenous role of one group, and consequently its superior political status. This book develops a model that explains how and why inter-ethnic bargains between rival groups can erode given different institutional configurations. It is hypothesized that inter-ethnic conflict is more likely in countries where political institutions fail to insulate the political hegemony of traditionally dominant ethnic communities and redistributive programs fail to improve the economic position of ethnic majorities. In such cases, outbidding strategies by more extreme ethnic leaders are more successful and violence becomes more likely. This book will be of interest to students of ethnic conflict, Asian politics, and security studies. Brian Shoup received his PhD from Indiana University, where he is now the Assistant Director of the Indiana Democracy Consortium.
Asian Security Studies Series Editors: Sumit Ganguly and Indiana University, Bloomington
Andrew Scobell US Army War College
Few regions of the world are fraught with as many security questions as Asia. Within this region it is possible to study great power rivalries, irredentist conflicts, nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation, secessionist movements, ethnoreligious conflicts and inter-state wars. This new book series will publish the best possible scholarship on the security issues affecting the region, and will include detailed empirical studies, theoretically oriented case studies and policy-relevant analyses as well as more general works. China and International Institutions Alternate paths to global power Marc Lanteigne China’s Rising Sea Power The PLA navy’s submarine challenge Peter Howarth If China Attacks Taiwan Military strategy, politics and economics Edited by Steve Tsang Chinese Civil–Military Relations The transformation of the People’s Liberation Army Edited by Nan Li The Chinese Army Today Tradition and transformation for the 21st century Dennis J. Blasko Taiwan’s Security History and prospects Bernard D. Cole
Religion and Conflict in South and Southeast Asia Disrupting violence Edit