Ethnic Groups in Conflict [Hardcover]

Donald L. Horowitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 1985

Drawing material from dozens of divided societies, Donald L. Horowitz constructs his theory of ethnic conflict, relating ethnic affiliations to kinship and intergroup relations to the fear of domination. A groundbreaking work when it was published in 1985, the book remains an original and powerfully argued comparative analysis of one of the most important forces in the contemporary world.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offers a great deal of constructive advice backed by numerous examples--all worth pondering by those who try to engineer peace and democracy in divided societies."--Arend Lijphart, "New York Times --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Donald L. Horowitz is the James B. Duke professor of Law and Political Science at Duke University. He is also the author of A Democratic South Africa? Constitutional Engineering in a Divided Society (California, 1991), which won the Ralph Bunche Prize of the American Political Science Association, and coeditor of Immigrants in Two Democracies: French and American Experience (1992). --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 702 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; First Edition edition (July 25, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520053850
• ISBN-13: 978-0520053854
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #806,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid scholarly treatise on ethnic conflict, January 31, 1999

By 

Stephen Luby (Dhaka, Bangladesh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ethnic Groups in Conflict (Paperback)

This book is a scholarly treatise on ethnic conflict. The author's ideas are thoroughly developed, and supported with numerous examples and references. I finished the book with a far greater understanding of the roots, complexity, dynamics, and interventions for ethnic conflict. Horowitz shows how the ethnic conflict which we may be most directly aware of is an example of a larger phenomenon. The book is not easy to read. It is 684 pages. Many of its 16 chapters have over 100 footnotes. The writing style favors cautious scholarly precision with exhaustive attention to detail, rather than an easy to understand summary of the central ideas.

5.0 out of 5 stars Change the way you look at the world., May 2, 2011

By 

B. "B" (North Carolina Banjo Country) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ethnic Groups in Conflict, Updated Edition With a New Preface (Paperback)

Donald Horowitz's book "Ethnic Groups in Conflict" completely changed the way I not only look at Africa/South-East Asia, but also the way in which I look at all politics and group identity. If one carefully reads this book--and it certainly takes a dedicated, and systematic reading--one will come away changed. I was lucky enough to read this book during a class in the university; so I had the advantage of being required to sit and read this book, and also having the resources to ask questions. Horowitz systematically analyses the primordial and imperialist origins of group comparison, the politicizing of group cleavages--fueled by imperial favoritism--and, the politicizing of the military. (A great companion to Huntington's work on politics and the military.) And, in his conclusion, Horowitz shows the possible solutions to group conflict--economic specialization or specialized voting rules.

This book gives the reader a special insight into the logic of ethnic group behavior. It is full of highly cited examples, ranging for the Yorba to the Tamils. Anyone interested in politics, nationalism, Africa, Asia, imperialism and, even, economics and the effects of alternative voting rules, ought to take the time and effort of reading this classic volume.

11 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you think you know is wrong..., April 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ethnic Groups in Conflict (Paperback)

*ALL* beliefs about ethnic that are commonly accepted in USA and the basis of far-reaching policies are 100% wrong based on the information in this book. US policies actually *increase* ethnic conflict! Don't expect the author to analyze the situation in USA directly - that would force him to drop the good-guy/bad-guy approach that is practically required by law here. It's not too hard to read between the lines, though.

Horowitz thinks that the best way to reduce ethnic conflict (elimination being unrealistic) is to allow each group to become economically specialized. Ethnic specialization is good, in his view, and not at all similar to ethnic ranking, which is bad. Of course, some groups will be specialized in high finance and others will be hewers of wood and drawers of water...

This book reviews the major theories and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. He never does come down solidly in favor of one theory, but he clearly considers some very popular theories virtually worthless.

I don't see how anybody who isn't an "ethnic entrepreneur" could read this book and still think that affirmative action, massive immigration and group rights will reduce ethnic conflict. This is a very scary book and difficult, too, but well worth the effort.