The Logic of Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID19904567
AuthorsJohn F Mccauley (0000-0003-1349-1489, University of Maryland, College Park, corresponding author)
Year2017
Publication date2017-04-27
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueLogic of Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Africa (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherCambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1017/9781316796252
OpenAlexW2605997216
Open LibraryOL34553854M
ISBN9781316796252
LanguageEN
Citations received24
References cited182

This book explains why conflicts in Africa are sometimes ethnic and sometimes religious, and why a conflict might change from ethnic to religious even as the opponents remain fixed. Conflicts in the region are often viewed as either 'tribal' or 'Muslim-Christian', seemingly rooted in deep-seated ethnic or religious hatreds. Yet, as this book explains, those labels emerge as a function of political mobilization. It argues that ethnicity and religion inspire distinct passions among individuals, and that political leaders exploit those passions to achieve their own strategic goals when the institutions of the state break down. To support this argument, the book relies on a novel experiment conducted in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to demonstrate that individual preferences change in ethnic and religious contexts. It then uses case illustrations from Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Sudan to highlight the strategic choices of leaders that ultimately shape the frames of conflict

Argument (complex analysis) · Epistemology · Ethnic conflict · Ethnic group · Passions · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science) · Culture, Economy, and Development Studies · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Africa · ethnic relations · Ethnicity · General · Political aspects · politics and government · Religion · Religion and politics · Religious minorities · Social conflict

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