An ethnic war is a war between ethnic groups often as a result of ethnic nationalism. They are of interest because of the apparent prevalence in the aftermath of the Cold War and because they frequently result in war crimes such as genocide.
Two controversial questions about ethnic wars is whether they are more prevalent in the post-Cold War period and whether they are really about ethnicity at all. There are a number of political scientists who refer to the concept of ethnic wars as a myth becase they argue that the root causes of ethnic conflict do not involve ethnicity but rather institutional, political, and economic factors. These political scientists argue that the concept of ethnic war is misleading because it leads to the conclusion that certain groups are doomed to fight each other when in fact the wars between them are the result of political decisions. Opposing groups may substitute ethnicity for the underlying factors to simplify identification of friend and foe.
A classic example of the reformulation of economic differences as ethnic differences is found in Rwanda. In a 1930s census, all people owning ten or more head of cattle were classified as Tutsi; everyone else was classified as Hutu.
On the other hand, it is reasonable to suppose that the dominance of political correctness and multiculturalist ideology within the social sciences may contribute to motivations for deconstructing the very idea of ethnic conflict; each arguably has a vested interest in downplaying the "ethnic" in "ethnic conflict."
As to why ethnicconflict is more severe in Africa than other parts of the world, the authors provide various explanations, including the fact that colonial incursions exploited and compounded inter-ethnic inimicable relations.
Ethnic groups are often compelled to fratricide by legitimate issues.
Aside from this, the book is a great contribution to our understanding of ethnicconflicts in Africa, providing important lessons for the new democracy of South Africa about the need for socio-economic stability for all people, as well as recognizing the danger of the oppressor within all of us.
Ethnicconflicts in the territory of the former USSR were extinguished by force after the Bolshevik revolution and the imposition of the Soviet rule.
Since the level of mobilization of ethnic groups in a violent conflict is high, their leadership is able to organize referenda and elections and to achieve the declaration of independence and creation of primary state institutions in a legitimate way (of course, this way is not legitimate from the perspective of states).
Ethnic groups' demands to enhance their status are not merely a result of irrational proliferation of the ideology of nationalism; rather they are a reaction to the inability and inflexibility of the nation-states' framework in guaranteeing a fair distribution of power and rights among all the significant group actors within the states.
Feeds |
Contact