Working with the Causal Model of Political Violence

A “general theory” of political violence Psychological Pre-Conditions combine with Socio-Biological Factors Anthropological Concepts & Cases Economic Structures & Preconditions Scope Intensity Types of Political Violence Social Conditions Political Variables

A “general theory” of political violence Psychological Pre-Conditions -Anomie -Frustration aggression -Contagion -Cognitive dissonance -Relative deprivation Biological Economic Preconditions -The dominance- submission nexus within society Scope Intensity Types of Political Violence -Assassination -Insurgency by groups -General turmoil -Civil War -Repression by the state Social Conditions -Justifications -nominative -utilitarian -Legitimacy -Socialization -Politicization -Institutional support -functional -institutional -Political symbols -Balance of coercion -resources -ideology -release mechanisms Political Variables Government Policies: short run vs. long run

Where does the reading fit? PsychologicalSocialPolitical Eller, et al.Chaps. 1-4Chaps 5-7, 10Cases; and Chaps. 8-9 Taras & Ganguly Chaps. 5-9Chaps. 1-4, 10 Collier, et al.Chaps. 1-2Chaps. 3-4Chaps. 5-6

Psychological pre-conditions Anomie ( sociology – Durkheim ) Frustration – Aggression ( Psychology ) Cognitive Dissonance ( Psychology ) Contagion ( Social-Psych ) Relative Deprivation ( Social-Psych; PoliSci,Soc ) RD is rooted in perception (the relationship between expectation and actual capacity) Aspirational Decremental J - Curve

Expectations increase while capacities remain static

Expectations remain static while capacities decrease

Both expectations and capacities increase for a time, but capacities plateau and then decrease

Biological and socio-biological Charles Darwin – 19 th century claim of species competition and “survival of the fittest” – assuming such occurs from triumph, usually via force Are we instinctually (primordially) violent? Conrad Lorenz thought so; most anthropologists prove not so…we have lived too long without murder or organized violence Biological determinism: Suggests that as human animals, we are genetically determined to be violent Modified version: Some are genetically “predisposed” to violence

Findings to date There is a psychobiology/or a psycho- biochemistry to this – and it is “selective”. Chemical imbalances are sufficient conditions to lead (stimulate) some to engage in violence When chemical mix with social and psychological stimuli, there is a high likelihood of violence In all situations these can be limited by social constraints “Tougher” finding relates to biochemical “high” derived from engaging in violence, the narcotic effect

Where does variation by gender come in? Reality of testosterone The rest is learned (socialization) Does “mother instinct” drive some under poverty or despair to violence?

Psycho-social ‘innate’ adjustment Robert Jay Lifton, in “The Nazi Doctors”, goes further than this....grotesque or large scale violence must have a full duality, with perpetrators operating in a different world: they must engage in “doubling”.

Anthropological Excerpts from Foreign Affairs article of Jan/Feb ’06 by Robert M Sapolsky, “A Natural History of Peace”. What does the reading have to add? Consider the essays from Eller.

Application: Brainstorm/discuss solutions Frustrated with recent explanations of political violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and elsewhere, the U.S. Government has issued a “call for proposals” which will examine “new and dynamic concepts which help explain problems of on-going violence in society”. A friend working in the White House has called and asked for input. Using Eller, et al. as a guide, what should we send her?

A “general theory” of political violence Psychological Pre-Conditions -Anomie -Frustration aggression -Contagion -Cognitive dissonance -Relative deprivation Biological Economic Preconditions -The dominance- submission nexus within society Scope Intensity Types of Political Violence -Assassination -Insurgency by groups -General turmoil -Civil War -Repression by the state Social Conditions -Justifications -nominative -utilitarian -Legitimacy -Socialization -Politicization -Institutional support -functional -institutional -Political symbols -Balance of coercion -resources -ideology -release mechanisms Political Variables Government Policies: short run vs. long run

Economic pre-conditions Economic structure of dominance- submission in relationships Real conditions filtered by perception (relative deprivation!) Competitive economic units (class) The societal conflict trap of Collier’s, “Breaking the Conflict Trap”

Social conditions: What “fires us up” Justifications: utilitarian vs. normative Legitimacy Socialization Politicization Political symbols Support mechanisms: structural, cultural Resources, ideology, release mechanisms