Lecture 3: Cultural Pluralism and Ethnic Conflict

Question 1

what is ethnicity?

Answer 1

• It’s a social construct
• It’s when groups come to see themselves as different from others
• the group is united by a common error or myth about their ancestry and a common dislike of their neighbours
• There is in and out groups
• In order for identity to function, you must know who we are and who we are not
• Some ethnic classifications imposed from the outside: Bengala (Congo), Coloured (South Africa), Latino (US)

Question 2

what is the myth of homogenous state?

Answer 2

only a small fraction of the world’s nations can be seen as predominately homogenous (Japan, South Korea, Iceland, Uruguay)
- 1/3 of countries, no single ethnic group accounts for 50% of the population
- Uganda- largest ethnic group is 16.9% of the population
- 80% of countries have substantial minority groups
- Especially sub-Saharan Africa
- Nigeria for example has 200 ethnic groups

Question 3

what is the changing nature of conflict?

Answer 3

• Between 1979-2004 there were 118 military conflicts
• Only 7 were between interstate conflict (between countries)
• 111 were instar-state often involving ethnic conflict (inside a country)

Question 4

what are the 4 types of ethnic divisions?

Answer 4

1. Nationality
2. Tribe
3. Race
4. Religion

Question 5

how is nationality a cultural ethnic division?

Answer 5

Population with its own language, cultural
traditions, historical aspirations and claim over
geographical area

Question 6

how is tribe a cultural ethnic division?

Answer 6

Subnational group that shares a collective
identity and language and believes itself to hold
a common lineage - Controversial

Question 7

how is race a cultural ethnic division?

Answer 7

Division based upon (visible) racial features
- Relevant in multi-racial settings (South African
apartheid)

Question 8

how is religion a cultural ethnic division?

Answer 8

• Deeply engrained values
• Source of communal strife
• Sudan vs South Sudan

Question 9

why is there interethnic conflict in developing countries?

Answer 9

Part less established national identity? New states vs Old states
Part more ethnically diverse?
Part lack of (functional) (democratic) institutions?

Question 10

name 4 different levels of interethnic conflict?

Answer 10

minimal conflict, uneasy balance, enforced hierarchy and systematic violence

Question 11

what is minimal conflict and which country?

Answer 11

Form of relative ethnic harmony. Brazil

Question 12

what is uneasy balance and which country?

Answer 12

Different groups predominate in specific areas of society. For example in Malesia, Muslims dominate politics and Chinese people dominate the business sector.

Question 13

what is enforced hierarchy and which country?

Answer 13

Both economic and political arena are dominated by ruling ethnic group. South Africa

Question 14

what is systematic violence and which country?

Answer 14

Deep ethnic resentment that leads to mass violence or even civil war. Rwanda genocide

Question 15

what are the 4 types of conflict resolution?

Answer 15

Power-sharing, secession, outside intervention and exhaustion

Question 16

what is power sharing and country?

Answer 16

Create Stability by constitutionally dividing political power among ethnic groups (federalism or consociationalism)

Malaysia

Question 17

what secession and country?

Answer 17

’divorce of a country.
For example, in 1993 when Eritrea and Ethiopia become two separate countries.

Question 18

what is outside intervention and country?

Answer 18

the focus on human need and international law, e.g., in Libya.

Question 19

what is exhaustion and country?

Answer 19

Exhaustion of warring parties. both parties put the conflict ‘on hold.’

Mozambique

Question 20

Name the basic facts of Rwanda?

Answer 20

Rwanda has a population of approximately 11.9 million people. The population has three ethnic groups, of which 84% are Hutu, 15% are Tutsi and 1% are part of the Twa group.

Question 21

what are the economic forces in Rwanda?

Answer 21

The government in Rwanda has less budget to spend because of international external factors. There was an increase in poverty and an increase in the population.
The late 1980’s diminished agricultural output.
The global market prices for coffee and tea declined, which did not benefit Rwanda’s economy.

Question 22

what are 4 key factors leading to Rwandan Genocide?

Answer 22

Colonial history and creation of Class Society (1885-1962)

Decolonization

Elections (1962)

Propaganda (1960’s-1994)

Outside Pressure from RPF (Tutsi) Army and Lack of Outside Pressure from the UN

Question 23

what happened in the colonial history of Rwanda?

Answer 23

• 1919, Rwanda was dominated by Belgium.
• Tutsi elite used as tool for indirect rule.
• 1934, Belgian rulers stated that if one had 10+ cows they are a Tutsi.’ - 1935, Intro of identity cars > ethnic classification.

Question 24

what happened rung decolonization and elections in Rwanda?

Answer 24

1959
- First violent attacks against Tutsi
- 20,000 dead and 300,000 flee to neighbouring countries
- 1962-1965
Elections
- Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement wins (unopposed)
- Hutu Journalist who lead the independence movement and replaced the Tutsi monarchy

-Throughout the decades, sporadic outbursts of aggression against Tutsi

Question 25

how was propaganda used in Rwanda?

Answer 25

Two main forms
- Newspaper - Kangura
- Published cartoons depicting Tutsi as subhuman, ‘cockroaches’

• Radio
  Radio Televions Libre des Mille Collines
  Hutu Extremists
  Called for the ‘Final War’ to ‘exterminate’ the Tutsi

Question 26

what about the outside pressures?

Answer 26

Rwandan Patriotic Front
Controlled the northern part of Rwanda military Still lost in the local elections in 1993

UN Peacekeepers (mostly from Belgium)
Present due to civil war
Mandate was peacekeeping
Quickly evacuated when violence start (no peace to keep)

Question 27

what happenend during the genocide and when?

Answer 27

April 6, 1994
Plane carrying Rwandan and Burundian Presidents (both Hutus) shot down on approach to Kigali Airport
Unclear whether by RPF or Hutu extremists
Voices call for violence
-
RTLM encourages listeners to go out and kill Tutsi

Roadblocks set up to identify Tutsi (remember ID cards?) People murdered in houses, schools, churches, ditches, their cars

Just 100 Days

Ends July 15, 1994

800,000 people killed
Roughly 80,000 per day
Machetes were the most common used weapon