- Summary
- This dissertation addresses ways in which the world cultural context makes genocide a more probable policy choice for certain regimes. The overwhelming majority of genocide research has examined only one or two cases. There have been few attempts to make comparisons across cases, and those attempts have been limited to internal characteristics of regimes, There has been almost no attempt to situate genocidal regimes within the global context. Cases of genocide in the late 20th century are examined with an eye to global economic, military and socio-cultural factors. The legitimate state-the state most readily recognized as a well-constituted actor-is the one that clearly represents a single nation. Thus, states whose legitimacy is in question are more likely to make claims to legitimacy by asserting a strong match between nation and state, even if this match must be forced by eliminating groups that do not fit the official national identity. States that are well incorporated into the international community win have a much lower probability of genocide. They have more political and economic ties with other states and international organizations than do states with low levels of incorporation. Thus, well-incorporated states have more to lose and less to gain by committing genocide than do their less incorporated counterparts. The author uses a regime-based dataset with four groups of variables: internal regime characteristics, measures of incorporation into the world polity, economic status, and military strength, Findings support the hypothesis that transnational integration, as measured by international governmental organization memberships, provides a significant protective factor against genocide, even when controlling for level of democracy and regime age. The qualitative phase of this project compares the Red Terror in Ethiopia to Senegal's shift to multi-party state. These two events of the mid-1970s were each preceded by a decade of authoritarian governance, economic strain, and widespread social unrest, but with drastically different outcomes, In particular, this part of the dissertation looks at the nation-state as project. Findings here suggest that Senegal's interests in international governmental organizations and African unity, coupled with an inclusive nationalist ideology may have decreased the chance of severe repression and genocide. In contrast, Ethiopia's militarism and exclusionary nationalism may have influenced the regime's decision to implement the Red Terror.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Lambert, Steph.
- Published
- [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 2001
- Notes
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Arizona State University, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 166-182).
Photocopy. Ann Arbor, Mich. : UMI Dissertation Services, 2004. 22 cm.
Dissertations and Theses
