The Deadly Ethnic Riot

by Horowitz, Donald L.

• ISBN13: 9780520224476
• ISBN10: 0520224477
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

Donald Horowitz defines a deadly ethnic riot as "an intense, though not necessarily unplanned, lethal attack by members of one ethnic group on civilian members of another ethnic group." The book draws examples from all over the world and rigorously analyzes this brutal phenomenon.

Author Biography

Donald L. Horowitz is James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science at Duke University.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
A Note on Place Names	xvii
Say It with Murder	1	(42)
The Morphology and Dynamics of Violence	2	(7)
The Riot as Cause, Effect, and Process	9	(8)
The Forms of Ascriptive Violence	17	(11)
Deploying the Data	28	(6)
The State of Violence Theory	34	(9)
Ethnic Boundaries, Riot Boundaries	43	(28)
Cognitive and Strategic Bases of Ethnicity	43	(13)
The Ontology of the Riot	56	(13)
Composing the Decomposable	69	(2)
The Riot Episode	71	(53)
The Rhythm of the Riot	71	(3)
Before the Riot: The Critical Role of Rumor	74	(15)
Before the Riot: The Lull	89	(5)
Preparing for War, Conquering Fear	94	(15)
The Atrocity-Killing	109	(15)
Selective Targeting	124	(27)
Precision in Targeting	124	(4)
The Aversion to False Positives	128	(3)
Target Selection: The Starting Points	131	(4)
Strong or Weak Targets? The Question of Displaced Aggression	135	(13)
Beyond Displacement: Strong Targets, Weak Moments	148	(3)
Target-Group Characteristics	151	(43)
Reputation for Aggression	151	(4)
Traditional Antagonism	155	(7)
Opposition in War	162	(3)
Political Threat	165	(7)
External Affinities Augmenting Internal Strength	172	(6)
Psychological Strength	178	(9)
Antipathy, Similarity, and Difference	187	(7)
An Economy of Antipathy: Target Selection and the Imperatives of Violence	194	(30)
The Source of the Precipitant and the Choice of Target	197	(7)
Riot Leadership and Target Choice	204	(16)
Riot Location and Target Choice	220	(2)
Targeting: Reflections and Distortions	222	(2)
Organizers and Participants	224	(44)
Indicators of Organization	227	(2)
Organizers	229	(24)
The Dubious Advantage of Strong Organization	253	(1)
The Power of Loose Organization	254	(4)
The Legions of Violence	258	(8)
The Deadly Riot as a Pickup Game	266	(2)
The Occasions for Violence	268	(58)
Flashpoints: The Events That Precipitate Riots	269	(3)
A Parade of Processions	272	(18)
Strikes with Ethnic Overtones	290	(5)
Divisive Elections	295	(13)
Official or Unofficial Alterations of Relative Ethnic Status	308	(9)
The Character of Precipitating Events	317	(6)
Precipitant-free Riots	323	(3)
The Social Environment for Killing	326	(48)
Interregna	331	(3)
The Decline of Multiethnic Parties and Coalitions	334	(3)
Fluctuations in Policy	337	(6)
Authoritative Tolerance, Acquiescence, or Condonation	343	(9)
Biased or Ineffective Instruments of Public Order	352	(7)
Inhibition and Disinhibition	359	(7)
Absence of Remorse: The Moral Mass Murder	366	(8)
Location, Diffusion, and Recurrence	374	(49)
Location: Differentials in the Fundamentals	376	(5)
Propinquity and Urban Bias	381	(3)
Site Selection and Risk Aversion	384	(11)
The Diffusion of Violence	395	(12)
Recidivist Locations	407	(4)
Recurrent Riots	411	(12)
Aims, Effects, and Functions	423	(44)
Narrow Aims, Broad Effects	425	(5)
Degradation	430	(3)
Homogenization	433	(10)
Polarization	443	(3)
Civil and Secessionist Warfare	446	(7)
Contingent Effects	453	(5)
The Putative Functions of Violence	458	(9)
Violence and Quiescence	467	(55)
Proof Positive and Proof Negative: The Problem of Variance	468	(3)
Theories of Quiescence from the Larger Research Cycle	471	(6)
Near-Miss Strategies	477	(2)
Alternatives to Riots: Lynching and Burning	479	(3)
Alternatives to Riots: Ethnic Terrorism	482	(3)
Mild Riots and Near-Riots	485	(10)
Ethnic Fights	495	(2)
Changes over Time: Nonrecurring Riots	497	(12)
Non-Riots	509	(3)
The Hunt for the Missing Variables	512	(1)
Paths to Prevention	513	(9)
The Calculus of Passion	522	(45)
Convening the Killing Crowd: A Causal Account	523	(22)
Strategic and Rationalist Approaches to Ethnic Violence	545	(10)
Reason and Passion: Hypervigilance, Circumspection, and Being of More Than One Mind	555	(5)
The Decline of the Deadly Ethnic Riot in the West	560	(7)
Index	567