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Loading... Modern Hatreds: The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic Warby Stuart J. Kaufman
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Good to excellent coverage of ethnic conflicts in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, and the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Most of these are little known in the West, and accounts of ethnic conflict are always distorted by fragmentation of the histories involved as well as ideology and the myth-making exercise that is nationalism. The author carefully details the similarities in the symbolic politics of each of these conflicts while trying to point out the differences that resulted in war, or not, or the nature of the warfare that resulted from the conflict. One of Kaufman's chief concerns is distinguishing between ethnic conflicts he considers "mass-led" versus "elite-led" but in his discussions of the various leaders and their actions, he seems to assume a level of rationality that is, to me, deceptive. As Professor Mahmoud Mamdani has pointed out, there is at the heart of every genocide a small, cold-hearted, clear-sighted, intelligent cabal of utter psychopaths, and any attempt to head off or cut short an ethnic conflict rolling down that road WILL FAIL if we don't take that simple fact into consideration. ( ) no reviews | add a review
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References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English (32)Ethnic conflict has been the driving force of wars all over the world, yet it remains an enigma. What is it about ethnicity that breaks countries apart and drives people to acts of savage violence against their lifelong neighbors?Stuart Kaufman rejects the notion of permanent "ancient hatreds" as the answer. Dissatisfied as well with a purely rationalist explanation, he finds the roots of ethnic violence in myths and symbols, the stories ethnic groups tell about who they are. Ethnic wars, Kaufman argues, result from the politics of these myths and symbols-appeals to flags and faded glories that aim to stir emotions rather than to address interests. Popular hostility based on these myths impels groups to follow extremist leaders invoking such emotion-laden ethnic symbols. If ethnic domination becomes their goal, ethnic war is the likely result.Kaufman examines contemporary ethnic wars in the Caucasus and southeastern Europe. Drawing on information from a variety of sources, including visits to the regions and dozens of personal interviews, he demonstrates that diplomacy and economic incentives are not enough to prevent or end ethnic wars. The key to real conflict resolution is peacebuilding-the often-overlooked effort by nongovernmental organizations to change hostile attitudes at both the elite and the grassroots levels. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)947.0009049History and Geography Europe Russia and eastern Europe [and formerly Finland] Russian & Slavic History by Period RussiaLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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