| ID | 087483 |
| Title Proper | Geography of fear |
| Other Title Information | Regional ethnic diversity, the security dilemma and ethnic war |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Melander, Erik |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article explores to what extent the security dilemma through geographically induced first-strike advantages is a contributing cause of ethnic warfare. If there are possibly decisive advantages to be gained from striking the first blow, both temptation and fear may shortcut efforts to resolve a conflict in less costly ways, and trigger massive violence. Theoretical work and case studies suggest that in ethnic conflicts intermingled settlement patterns give rise to such first-strike advantages. I test whether ethnic groups in conflict are more likely to become involved in ethnic warfare if their main region of settlement is ethnically diverse. I also include controls intended to capture other aspects of the security dilemma. In robustness tests, I add indicators of group concentration and local majority status that have been found to increase the risk of ethnic violence in previous quantitative studies. I find a strong, statistically significant association between regional ethnic diversity and ethnic warfare. |
| `In' analytical Note | European Journal of International Relations Vol. 15, No. 1; Mar 2009: p95-124 |
| Journal Source | European Journal of International Relations Vol. 15, No. 1; Mar 2009: p95-124 |
| Key Words | Ethnic Cleansing ; Ethnic Conflict ; Preemption ; Security Dilemma ; Settlement Patterns |