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Understanding Horizontal Inequalities: The Role of Civil Society

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Overcoming the Persistence of Inequality and Poverty

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Abstract

Horizontal inequalities between ethnic and religious groups are increasingly recognised to be an important causal factor in violent ethnic conflict in the developing world (Stewart, 2008). An important general conclusion that arises from the case study and econometric work associated with the concept is that the impact of socioeconomic horizontal inequalities on conflict likelihood is crucially mediated by political factors. To date, however, attention to this political dimension has largely focused on the role of the state and of ethnic leaders. Civil society as a distinct realm of political activity is a relatively unexplored dimension of horizontal inequalities, and one which deserves closer attention.

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Authors
  1. Graham K. Brown
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oxford Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House), UK

    Valpy FitzGerald  & Rosemary Thorp  & 

  2. Somerville College, University of Oxford, UK

    Judith Heyer

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© 2011 Graham K. Brown

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Brown, G.K. (2011). Understanding Horizontal Inequalities: The Role of Civil Society. In: FitzGerald, V., Heyer, J., Thorp, R. (eds) Overcoming the Persistence of Inequality and Poverty. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230306721_9

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