Ethnopolitical Warfare: Causes, Consequences and Possible Solutions [Hardcover]

Daniel Chirot (Editor), Martin E. P. Seligman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001 | ISBN-10: 1557987378 | ISBN-13: 978-1557987372 | Edition: 1

Why does ethnopolitical conflict sometimes lead to genocide and other times to peace? In this volume, political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, and historians examine over a dozen international cases to try to understand what causes a society's ethnic conflicts to escalate or deescalate. This unique book contains cogent critiques of the political and historical antecedents to conflict around the world, combining them with psychological analyses of group identity and intergroup conflict. In examining the escalation of ethnic conflict, the authors highlight the critical role of group identification. How group identification becomes enmeshed with threatened economic resources, violent political subcultures, and media manipulation of collective fear is stressed. The lessons from the histories of specific countries are given cogent review: Why is Tanzania a rare model of ethnic peace in Africa while its neighbor Rwanda houses the worst case of ethnic warfare on the continent? How can South Africa's history provide a positive example of the resolution of ethnopolitical tensions? This book illustrates the promise that an interdisciplinary approach has to offer in preventing further genocidE.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 379 pages
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA); 1 edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557987378
• ISBN-13: 978-1557987372
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 4.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,673,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Genocide and violence, July 20, 2002

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E. N. Anderson (Riverside, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ethnopolitical Warfare: Causes, Consequences and Possible Solutions (Hardcover)

This book adds significantly to the far too small literature attempting to explain today's worldwide epidemic of genocide and ethnic violence. My generation believed we had ended all that by defeating the Nazis. Not so; there have been a couple of dozen major genocides since, and countless minor massacres. The book at hand is a collection of chapters by psychologists (and a few other social scientists). Most of the explanatory material is taken from the area of psychology best developed in this regard: the research on categorization, stereotyping, and stigmatizing. Among the best chapters is one by Erwin Staub, who has done some of the very finest research on genocide.
An important part of this book is a series of studies of situations that did NOT turn into genocide, in spite of having the potential to do so: South Africa, the southern US.... Now ironic is the inclusion of Israel; this book was written before the recent horrors. However, the chapter is valuable; it attributes the success of Israel to precisely those features that Sharon abolished. Sure enough--Sharon abolished them, and ethnic violence blew up...
The book under review emphasizes solutions. Notable among these is the absolute, desperate need for the world community of nations to intervene! ...
In any case, anyone concerned with genocide and ethnic war should read this book. It is thought-provoking and important.