Paper Summary:

This paper offers an examination of ethnic conflict, seeking to analyze the causes of such conflict escalation and provide a conceptual framework for understanding how different factors combine to give a violent outcome. The paper explains that, since 1945, almost 15 million people have been killed in conflicts involving ethnic violence. The paper describes several competing theories that explain the occurrence of ethnic conflict, including the primordialist approach, the institutional approach, the political entrepreneurs approach, and competition over resources. The paper poses two hypotheses which it applies to Bosnia - heterogeneous societies tend to have violent conflicts; and the politicization of ethnicity leads to high levels of violence. The paper concludes that the Bosnian case requires further study in order to implement a policy that integrates both groups; then, it can be said that the conflict has been fully resolved.

Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Thesis Paragraph
Literature Review
Methodology
Discussion: Case Study
Conclusion
References

From the Paper:

"The breakup of Yugoslavia is a classic example of manipulated nationalism in a region where peace has historically prevailed more than war, and in which a quarter of the population were inter-ethnically married. The chaos within Bosnia was seen as an opportunity for gaining power and the first to get hold of the opportunity of uncertainty were the political entrepreneurs. Nationalist leaders used the rhetoric of "us" being exploited by "them". Slobodan Milosevic and his "war policy" was the central player in aggravating ethnic conflict. The war in Bosnia was elite-led conflict, as Kaufman states (Roe, 1999, p.189). Political entrepreneurs made use of the media to provoke ethnic hatred in former Yugoslavia. Indeed, it was a widespread authoritarian political culture in all regions of former Yugoslavia that made possible for nationalist leaders to monopolize the press and to increase the level of intolerance."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Allen, B. (1996). Rape warfare: the hidden genocide in bosnia-herzegovina and Croatia. US: Universtity of Minnesota Press.
• Blagojevic, B. (2009). Causes of ethnic conflict: a conceptual framework. Journal of global change and governance, 3(1),
• Blimes, R. (2006). The Indirect effect of heterogeneity on the likelihood of civil war onset. The journal of conflict resolution, 50(4), 536-547, www.jstor.org
• Carment, D. (1993). The International dimensions of ethnic conflict: concepts, indicators, and theory. Journal of peace research, 30(2), 137-150, www.jstor.org
• Cordell, K., & Wolff, S. (2010). Ethnic conflict. Cambridge: Polity Press.

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