Sunteți pe pagina 1din 6

Politics of Ethnic Conflict

Societies can be generalized into two categories


-Active, forward-oriented (Achievement oriented)
Will look down on the other group for being too relaxed, not driven
-Passive, traditional (Inscriptively oriented)
Will look at the other group for being too materialistic, fast-paced
Discrimination resulting from European imperialism
Colonial government favored one group more than the other- gave them a higher status
Example: Latin America- seen as passive, more family and community-oriented
Sociological Characteristics
Always a traditional group- status is based upon who you are (chief, man, woman, etc.)
MDMs- Market Dominant Minorities
Groups that are focused on monetary gains or wealth creation
Examples: Jews, Lebanese, Cubans, Chinese
These groups predominate in certain economic areas leading to resentment from majorities
Disproportionately active in these fields- usually resulting from being excluded from
other means of work or income
Culture origins are characteristically poor or of low social classes
Immigrants/Emigrants
Dissatisfied with living in poor or disadvantaged situations in their home country
Voluntary emigration/immigration
Ethnic Pluralism
Primordialists: natural, normal, common in human beings
We are aware of the difference in our culture from another
Instrumentalist (Constructivist): Ethnic identity can be created through human action
Political activists revive old identities- to remind of differences to make political issues
Ahomil: nomalessness no sense of norms
Ways nation states can deal with ethnic pluralism
Dominant culture eliminates the others (genocide)
Ethnic cleansing forced deportation, movement of minority groups out
Assimilation- minority groups blend into the majority culture
Integration- dominant culture is used in public functions/languages/religion
Accommodation- recognition of distinct groups
Consociational: pluralistic democracy- adjusted slightly to fit in minorities
Westminster/British democracy- the government (majority) and the opposition
Coalition government is necessary
Minority veto: can block certain things that they do not want done
Built in affirmative action/proportional representation
Irredentist Movement
Unredeemed territory
Ethno-federalism
Give culture prevalent in region control over a majority of governmental and administrative
affairs (territorial autonomy)
Collapsed state
Sovereignty falls apart
Authority erodes- ethnic groups vie for power (Ex: Iraq/Syria vs ISIS)

Changes to Minorities in nations


Birth rates and death rates
Immigration/Emigration
Washington Consensus
1980s: Latin American needs more representative democracy and free market economy
Salient- relevant to politics
The Bamboo Curtain
Chinese business owners across Southeast Asia cooperate to further economic
opportunity
Can apply to any ethnic minority in any country
Crony Capitalism
Connected to people with political power or other influence to succeeded in business
Latin American Miscegenation
Interbreeding of whites, Native Americans, etc
Many consider themselves white
Race denial
Economic or social success
Ranked Conflict
One group has a proportionate/all of the power while others do not- clearly dominates
Ex: South Africa- whites control economy, politics, military, social prestige while Africans do not
Unranked Conflict
Each group has members in relatively equal social classes
Brazilian Slavery
Large number of African slaves
Manumission- gradually freeing slaves
Preference given to mixed breeds- children of white owner and slave mother
Zapatista Rebellion of 1994
Mexico
Took place in Southern Mexico- Chiapas
Anti-Jewish sentiment in Russia
Cosmopolites- Stalin era name for Jews- not sons of the soil
Nigeria
Gains independence in 1960
Parliamentary style democracy 1960-1966
Military coups
2 in 1966
Biafra wants to secede
Ibo tribe vs other smaller tribes
Ibos are industrious and control most of wealth
Hated
Notes on African democracy
Prefer Presidential system
Hard to work out due to severe ethnic differences between multiple groups

South Africa
Apartheid
Whites had all political and civil rights
Majority population (Africans) excluded from full participation
African National Congress
Founded by middle class Africans in South Africa
Committed to nonracist policy
Open to all races
Pan-African Congress
African only party
National Party
All-white apartheid party
In power until 1994
De Klerk and Mandela broker the end of Apartheid
Multicultural, multiracial democracy
ANC and NP work together in the cabinet and government (coalition)
ANC: 67% majority
NP: White party, working in coalition with ANC
Afrikaners: Dutch
Other whites: English mostly
Inkatha Freedom Party: Zulu minority party
Cooperate with conservative whites
Feel as though the other blacks in South Africa (Xhosa) will exclude
them from politics
Asian minority
Will not dismantle the army or security forces
White, conservative dominated
Zimbabwe/Rhodesia
Independence from United Kingdom due to pressures to desegregate
Small, white minority that has all the power
Extremely corrupt
Robert Mugabe- African rebel leader who seizes power
The World Bank
Structural adjustment policies
End government subsidies
Open economy to free trade
Israels intercultural conflict
Ashkenazi Jews
Originate from Europe
More skilled, educated, wealthy
Sephardic Jews
Originate from Middle Eastern countries
Not as educated, do not have as many high paying jobs
Potential solutions to conflict
Consociationalism
Affirmative action
Free markets
Majority vote

Tax and Transfer


Redistribution of wealth through social welfare projects
Safety net- laissez faire unrestrained economics makes people afraid to take risks
Limited Affirmative Action
Can appeal to the MDM or majority
Creation of wealthy elite within the majority, the benefit could be distributed throughout
Corporate philanthropy
Emphasis on initial minority rights and limited government
Independent judiciary
Divisions of power
Fear of illiberal democracy
Mandatory term limits
Effective suffrage
Fair elections
The Caste System: people are put into permanent social groupings from birth
Should acknowledge that
Sri Lanka
Major ethnic groups
Tamils
Minority
Wealthier, more educated, held more professional jobs and government
positions
Ceylonese Tamils
Indian Tamils
Brought to Sri Lanka by British for labor purposes
Held as a lower class by Ceylonese Tamils and Sinhalese
Less represented than any other group
Sinhalese
Majority ethnic group, from South
Poorer
Standardization in Education
Graded according to gender and ethnic group
Conflict between groups
Pogroms of Sinhalese against the Tamils
Tamil Tigers- group that advocates for independence of Tamil ethnic regions

Conflict in Nigeria
Created by British down absolutely zero ethnic lines
Direct rule- colonial government
Passive rule- allowed kings and tribal rulers to govern
British were a big fan of this; dont really want to interfere except for economic reasons
Muslim areas prefer indirect rule
Want no contact with the British
Less centralized, hierarchical, tribal
Mostly in the northern area of Nigeria
South and Southwest, British directly rule
Ibos- major ethnic group
Benefit from British rule- schools, jobs, wealth, and civil service
More egalitarian and centralized structure
When British leave, Nigeria sets up a Parliamentary Democracy
It lasts for five years and then collapses
Military coups left and right
Switch to Presidential democracy (democracy)
Fixed term
Goes under military rule
1966-1969- prevents Biafra from seceding
Since 1999: The Fourth Republic
Civilian rule
Obasanjo, Southern Christian president
Zoning: agreement that different positions in the government will come from
different areas
Federal character affirmative action plans
Local governments rely on oil for revenue
Political control and corruption stem from oil money
Dont tax, wont demand representative government
Tax, population will demand representative government
Way to make money: be connected to politics
Abacha- the worst of the worst
Boko Haram- terrorist group attacking Christians in Northern Nigeria

Ghosts of Rwanda Movie Notes


August 1993: UN enforced ceasefire between Tutsi rebels and Rwandan government
Leads to ethnic conflict between Hutus (majority) and Tutsis (minority)
Peace agreement forces Hutus and Tutsis to share power in government
January 1994: Hutu extremists plot to derail peace movement
Exterminate Tutsi minority
Attack Belgian soldiers
The Clinton Administration was weakened by intervention in Somalia-Mogadishu 1993
Hutu extremists begin attacks on political opponents and Tutsi leaders
April 6, 1994: Hutu Presidents airplane is shot down by rocket fire, unknown assailant
Extremists in the military seize power
April 7, 1994: Mass executions and violence begin throughout Kigali
Extremists assassinates moderate Prime Minister, takes UN troops hostage
Western governments dispatch intervention force for sole purpose of evacuating Western
nationals
UN Peacekeepers refuse to leave and abandon their mission
Interhamwe- Hutu militias
Red Cross never leaves Rwanda- launches publicity of atrocities and extremist government
allows them to continue work uninterrupted
300,000 deaths four weeks into the genocide

S-ar putea să vă placă și