Valery Dzutsati
Biographic Data
| ID | 3086643 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Valery Dzutsati |
| GIVEN NAMES | Valery |
| FAMILY NAME | Dzutsati |
| SIGNATURE | DZUTSATI V |
| AFFILIATIONS | Arizona State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1610-6585 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 14 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 42 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 14 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
The Politics of Perception: Identity, Media, and Major-Power Attitudes in Central Asia
While the desire of major powers for spheres of influence in smaller states has been extensively researched, the formation of public opinion in such states remains understudied. Using a series of Central Asian Barometer surveys, this study explores the factors associated with individuals’ foreign policy preferences among lesser powers neighbouring larger powers. We focus on the role of ethnic identity, language, and information sources in shaping…
Browsing and believing: Divergent effects of internet use on government trust in Central Asia
Under the Veil of Democracy: What Do People Mean When They Say They Support Democracy
Scholars have expressed concern over waning support for democracy worldwide. But what do ordinary citizens mean by the term “democracy," and how do their definitions of democracy influence their support for it? Using global cross-national survey data, this study demonstrates that individual variation in the understanding of democracy is substantively linked to democratic support across countries and regime contexts. Individuals who define democra…
Liberalism of religious Muslims in illiberal Muslim-majority and minority societies: Evidence from Azerbaijan and Georgia
How does a religious group's demographic status influence its members' attitudes toward economic and political liberalization? This study adopts a contextual approach and compares Azeri Muslims' political and economic attitudes in two illiberal states, Azerbaijan and Georgia. We argue that attitudes toward liberalization are shaped by the strength of association with one’s religious community and its relative position vis-à-vis the state and soci…
Defection Denied: A Study of Civilian Support for Insurgency in Irregular War
How can researchers obtain reliable responses on sensitive issues in dangerous settings? This Element elucidates ways for researchers to use unobtrusive experimental methods to elicit answers to risky, taboo, and threatening questions in dangerous social environments. The methods discussed in this Element help social scientists to encourage respondents to express their true preferences and to reduce bias, while protecting them, local survey organ…
Explaining Diversionary Domestic Conflict: Inequality and Communitarianism in Russia
Why do elites and ordinary individuals support targeting peripheral minorities? This study argues that high income inequality in the society and economic communitarianism among its population form the social basis for diversionary domestic conflict. When income inequality in society is high, the elites have an incentive to divert popular discontent toward peripheral minorities. High income inequality also raises the expectations for state assista…
The socioeconomic matrix of support for sharia: A cross-national study of Muslims’ attitudes
What explains the variation in support for the implementation of formal religious laws in societies? To address the question, we analyse the socioeconomic bases of support for sharia, Islamic law. Our findings suggest that there is a negative correlation between the state’s ability to provide social order and welfare, and support for sharia across social strata. A state with low capacity is associated with high support for sharia among the lowest…
Secessionist conflict as diversion from inequality: The missing link between grievance and repression
Why do some secessionist claims turn violent and others stay peaceful? This study elucidates the role of inequality and diversionary tactics of states in secessionist violence. Horizontal inequality increases the grievances of minorities and fuels rebellion. States with high vertical inequality prefer to suppress peripheries instead of increasing redistribution and alleviating their material grievances. States shun redistributing toward periphera…
Ethnicity or Religion? A Theory of Identity Choice with Evidence from the Russian North Caucasus
Previous research has either equated religion- and language-based group identities or asserted that their social effects are the same. This article proposes a novel differentiation between religious and ethnic self-identification that accounts for in-group income inequality and the social role of the group. The study argues that ethnicity-based identities tend to be associated with economic activities, thereby increasing the demand for income equ…
Social alienation and cultural distance in the context of secession in the South Caucasus
What explains the variation in individual support for the territorial integrity of the state that faces violent secession? While previous research has emphasised the role of state elites, institutions, and secessionist groups, this article elucidates the popular underpinnings of the state's response to secessionist claims. The proposed theory utilises in‐group and between‐group social distance to explain individual attitudes. Greater alienation f…
Geographies of hybrid war: Rebellion and foreign intervention in Ukraine
What explains the variation in violence in the internationalized civil conflict? This study identifies such conflict as an adaptation of insurgency warfare by the state. The analysis of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine indicates that violence levels peak in the areas where the preexisting political loyalties for the challenger state were strongest, where the central government of the incumbent state has inadequate access, and where the impact of w…
Russia's Syria War: A Strategic Trap
The Political Economy of Support for Sharia: Evidence from the Russian North Caucasus
Many scholars have argued that orthodox Muslims harbor attitudes that are more economically communitarian and politically illiberal, since individuals are seen as embedded within a larger community that places a premium on social order. Yet most studies have ignored the potential of Islam as an ideological platform for political reformers. Religion in general and Islam in particular has mostly been treated as a predictor rather than a derivative …
The Empire Strikes Back: Ethnicity, Terrain, and Indiscriminate Violence in Counterinsurgencies
Objective The literature on indiscriminate violence has emphasized how information shapes state capacity and determines whether and where the government employs collective targeting. This article investigates the conditions that influence the government's ability to obtain intelligence in counterinsurgencies. Specifically, it suggests that the government is more likely to use indiscriminate violence in areas characterized by indigenous ethnic hom…
Under the Veil of Democracy: What Do People Mean When They Say They Support Democracy
Scholars have expressed concern over waning support for democracy worldwide. But what do ordinary citizens mean by the term “democracy," and how do their definitions of democracy influence their support for it? Using global cross-national survey data, this study demonstrates that individual variation in the understanding of democracy is substantively linked to democratic support across countries and regime contexts. Individuals who define democra…
The Empire Strikes Back: Ethnicity, Terrain, and Indiscriminate Violence in Counterinsurgencies
Objective The literature on indiscriminate violence has emphasized how information shapes state capacity and determines whether and where the government employs collective targeting. This article investigates the conditions that influence the government's ability to obtain intelligence in counterinsurgencies. Specifically, it suggests that the government is more likely to use indiscriminate violence in areas characterized by indigenous ethnic hom…
The socioeconomic matrix of support for sharia: A cross-national study of Muslims’ attitudes
What explains the variation in support for the implementation of formal religious laws in societies? To address the question, we analyse the socioeconomic bases of support for sharia, Islamic law. Our findings suggest that there is a negative correlation between the state’s ability to provide social order and welfare, and support for sharia across social strata. A state with low capacity is associated with high support for sharia among the lowest…
Social alienation and cultural distance in the context of secession in the South Caucasus
What explains the variation in individual support for the territorial integrity of the state that faces violent secession? While previous research has emphasised the role of state elites, institutions, and secessionist groups, this article elucidates the popular underpinnings of the state's response to secessionist claims. The proposed theory utilises in‐group and between‐group social distance to explain individual attitudes. Greater alienation f…
Geographies of hybrid war: Rebellion and foreign intervention in Ukraine
What explains the variation in violence in the internationalized civil conflict? This study identifies such conflict as an adaptation of insurgency warfare by the state. The analysis of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine indicates that violence levels peak in the areas where the preexisting political loyalties for the challenger state were strongest, where the central government of the incumbent state has inadequate access, and where the impact of w…
The Political Economy of Support for Sharia: Evidence from the Russian North Caucasus
Many scholars have argued that orthodox Muslims harbor attitudes that are more economically communitarian and politically illiberal, since individuals are seen as embedded within a larger community that places a premium on social order. Yet most studies have ignored the potential of Islam as an ideological platform for political reformers. Religion in general and Islam in particular has mostly been treated as a predictor rather than a derivative …
Explaining Diversionary Domestic Conflict: Inequality and Communitarianism in Russia
Why do elites and ordinary individuals support targeting peripheral minorities? This study argues that high income inequality in the society and economic communitarianism among its population form the social basis for diversionary domestic conflict. When income inequality in society is high, the elites have an incentive to divert popular discontent toward peripheral minorities. High income inequality also raises the expectations for state assista…
Secessionist conflict as diversion from inequality: The missing link between grievance and repression
Why do some secessionist claims turn violent and others stay peaceful? This study elucidates the role of inequality and diversionary tactics of states in secessionist violence. Horizontal inequality increases the grievances of minorities and fuels rebellion. States with high vertical inequality prefer to suppress peripheries instead of increasing redistribution and alleviating their material grievances. States shun redistributing toward periphera…
The Empire Strikes Back: Ethnicity, Terrain, and Indiscriminate Violence in Counterinsurgencies
Objective The literature on indiscriminate violence has emphasized how information shapes state capacity and determines whether and where the government employs collective targeting. This article investigates the conditions that influence the government's ability to obtain intelligence in counterinsurgencies. Specifically, it suggests that the government is more likely to use indiscriminate violence in areas characterized by indigenous ethnic hom…
The Political Economy of Support for Sharia: Evidence from the Russian North Caucasus
Many scholars have argued that orthodox Muslims harbor attitudes that are more economically communitarian and politically illiberal, since individuals are seen as embedded within a larger community that places a premium on social order. Yet most studies have ignored the potential of Islam as an ideological platform for political reformers. Religion in general and Islam in particular has mostly been treated as a predictor rather than a derivative …
Russia's Syria War: A Strategic Trap
The socioeconomic matrix of support for sharia: A cross-national study of Muslims’ attitudes
What explains the variation in support for the implementation of formal religious laws in societies? To address the question, we analyse the socioeconomic bases of support for sharia, Islamic law. Our findings suggest that there is a negative correlation between the state’s ability to provide social order and welfare, and support for sharia across social strata. A state with low capacity is associated with high support for sharia among the lowest…
Secessionist conflict as diversion from inequality: The missing link between grievance and repression
Why do some secessionist claims turn violent and others stay peaceful? This study elucidates the role of inequality and diversionary tactics of states in secessionist violence. Horizontal inequality increases the grievances of minorities and fuels rebellion. States with high vertical inequality prefer to suppress peripheries instead of increasing redistribution and alleviating their material grievances. States shun redistributing toward periphera…
Ethnicity or Religion? A Theory of Identity Choice with Evidence from the Russian North Caucasus
Previous research has either equated religion- and language-based group identities or asserted that their social effects are the same. This article proposes a novel differentiation between religious and ethnic self-identification that accounts for in-group income inequality and the social role of the group. The study argues that ethnicity-based identities tend to be associated with economic activities, thereby increasing the demand for income equ…
Social alienation and cultural distance in the context of secession in the South Caucasus
What explains the variation in individual support for the territorial integrity of the state that faces violent secession? While previous research has emphasised the role of state elites, institutions, and secessionist groups, this article elucidates the popular underpinnings of the state's response to secessionist claims. The proposed theory utilises in‐group and between‐group social distance to explain individual attitudes. Greater alienation f…
Geographies of hybrid war: Rebellion and foreign intervention in Ukraine
What explains the variation in violence in the internationalized civil conflict? This study identifies such conflict as an adaptation of insurgency warfare by the state. The analysis of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine indicates that violence levels peak in the areas where the preexisting political loyalties for the challenger state were strongest, where the central government of the incumbent state has inadequate access, and where the impact of w…
Defection Denied: A Study of Civilian Support for Insurgency in Irregular War
How can researchers obtain reliable responses on sensitive issues in dangerous settings? This Element elucidates ways for researchers to use unobtrusive experimental methods to elicit answers to risky, taboo, and threatening questions in dangerous social environments. The methods discussed in this Element help social scientists to encourage respondents to express their true preferences and to reduce bias, while protecting them, local survey organ…
Explaining Diversionary Domestic Conflict: Inequality and Communitarianism in Russia
Why do elites and ordinary individuals support targeting peripheral minorities? This study argues that high income inequality in the society and economic communitarianism among its population form the social basis for diversionary domestic conflict. When income inequality in society is high, the elites have an incentive to divert popular discontent toward peripheral minorities. High income inequality also raises the expectations for state assista…
Under the Veil of Democracy: What Do People Mean When They Say They Support Democracy
Scholars have expressed concern over waning support for democracy worldwide. But what do ordinary citizens mean by the term “democracy," and how do their definitions of democracy influence their support for it? Using global cross-national survey data, this study demonstrates that individual variation in the understanding of democracy is substantively linked to democratic support across countries and regime contexts. Individuals who define democra…
Liberalism of religious Muslims in illiberal Muslim-majority and minority societies: Evidence from Azerbaijan and Georgia
How does a religious group's demographic status influence its members' attitudes toward economic and political liberalization? This study adopts a contextual approach and compares Azeri Muslims' political and economic attitudes in two illiberal states, Azerbaijan and Georgia. We argue that attitudes toward liberalization are shaped by the strength of association with one’s religious community and its relative position vis-à-vis the state and soci…
Browsing and believing: Divergent effects of internet use on government trust in Central Asia
The Politics of Perception: Identity, Media, and Major-Power Attitudes in Central Asia
While the desire of major powers for spheres of influence in smaller states has been extensively researched, the formation of public opinion in such states remains understudied. Using a series of Central Asian Barometer surveys, this study explores the factors associated with individuals’ foreign policy preferences among lesser powers neighbouring larger powers. We focus on the role of ethnic identity, language, and information sources in shaping…
Political science (13 works) · Law (12 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Law (9 works) · Politics (9 works) · Culture, Economy, and Development Studies (7 works) · Economics (7 works) · Political economy (7 works) · Political Conflict and Governance (6 works) · Religion and Society Interactions (6 works)