ABSTRACT
In this chapter, students will learn about the social construction of ethnic groups across lines of language, race and/or religious affiliation and its role in armed conflict. Most countries are multi-ethnic, and most ethnic relationships are peaceful. However, some ethnic conflicts become violent, often enough that ethnic wars represent a sizeable fraction of all wars that have occurred in the last century. Ethnic conflicts are most likely to result in serious violence when government is weak, narratives of group identity lead the groups to see each other as hostile, prejudice is widespread, group members fear for the survival of their group, and the competing sides demand political dominance over some disputed territory. Violent ethnic conflicts have important international dimensions: they are often encouraged by hardline émigré groups or foreign powers, they can cause very large flows of refugees across international borders, and they inspire international intervention ranging from diplomatic efforts to military force. While power-sharing and compromise are the internationally preferred formula for resolving ethnic conflicts, in practice most of them end only when one side wins militarily.
