POLS 312 Ethnic Conflict Lecture 8: Theories of Ethnic Conflict

1. POLS 312Ethnic ConflictLecture 8: Theories of Ethnic Conflict 02/24/2008 Prof. Cigdem V. Sirin Department of Political Science Texas A&M University

2. Regarding intergroup relations, primordialist perspectives focus on biological roots of intergroup behavior, whereas other approaches such as social identity theory turn to social-psychological explanations of group membership and attitudes. Structural-instrumentalist approaches, on the other hand, emphasize socio-economic and political factors as the major dynamics that drive intergroup conflicts. Finally, constructivism looks at the link between the socially constructed identity and civil violence. Regarding intergroup relations, primordialist perspectives focus on biological roots of intergroup behavior, whereas other approaches such as social identity theory turn to social-psychological explanations of group membership and attitudes. Structural-instrumentalist approaches, on the other hand, emphasize socio-economic and political factors as the major dynamics that drive intergroup conflicts. Finally, constructivism looks at the link between the socially constructed identity and civil violence.

22. Once the black box of state is unfolded to include ethnic groups and elite behavior, cognitive and affective aspects of human behavior come into play. Accordingly, ESD approach is able to incorporate psychological factors that lead to ethnic conflict and violence, which involves a combination of grievances (i.e., feelings of injustice) and the emotional heat from hate and fear of group extinction as reactions to structural (mostly political) circumstances. Once the black box of state is unfolded to include ethnic groups and elite behavior, cognitive and affective aspects of human behavior come into play. Accordingly, ESD approach is able to incorporate psychological factors that lead to ethnic conflict and violence, which involves a combination of grievances (i.e., feelings of injustice) and the emotional heat from hate and fear of group extinction as reactions to structural (mostly political) circumstances.