The Cultural Dynamics of Ethnic Conflict

Abstract

Traditionally, realist analyses of inter-state relations assign a very minor role to culture, arguing that states in conflict are motivated by concerns over concrete economic and strategic interests, and that state-level actors in inter-state conflicts share a common frame of reference. This chapter argues that while there are times when these long-held ideas are adequate to understand conflict, there are also situations where attention to cultural forces contributes a way to understand additional critical dynamics of international conflict. This is particularly true when we consider a matter of great concern in the post-Cold War period — ethnic conflict (Huntington, 1993).² Culture affects international cooperation and ethnically rooted disputes in several distinct ways: it provides the context in which collaboration and conflict occur, helping explain why certain issues become significant to one or more states and shaping how conflicts are played out; it defines group differences and how groups compete for scarce resources and recognition; and it points to the deeply held fears and threats to identity which shape how political leaders phrase their demands and garner support from their own populations (Ross, 1997).

I wish to thank Donald T. Campbell and Katherine Conner for the thoughtful comments and suggestions on an earlier draft of this chapter.