Civilian Contention in Civil War: How Ideational Factors Shape Community Responses to Armed Groups

Juan Masullo

doi:10.1177/0010414020912285

Abstract

Why do some communities overtly declare their opposition to violent groups, while others disguise it by engaging in seemingly unrelated activities? Why do some communities manifest their dissent using nonviolent methods instead of organizing violence of their own? I argue that ideational factors are crucial to answering these questions: normative commitments can restrict civilian contention to nonviolent forms of action, while exposure to oppositional ideologies can push civilians toward more confrontational forms of noncooperation with armed groups. Furthermore, I contend that the role of political entrepreneurs activating and mobilizing this ideational content is crucial for it to shape contention. I support this argument with a wealth of microlevel evidence collected in various warzones in Colombia, analyzed within a purposively designed comparative structure. My findings support the growing conflict scholarship that stresses that ideology matters in war, but extends its application beyond armed actors’ behavior to that of civilian communities.

Highlights

Why, when facing very similar war dynamics, do some communities overtly declare their opposition to violent groups while others disguise it by engaging and participating in seemingly unrelated activities? Why, in an already violent context such as civil war, do some communities opt to manifest their dissent through nonviolent methods instead of organizing violence of their own? Answers to these questions will improve our understanding of how armed conflict operates on the ground, how it transforms the lives of ordinary people caught up in war, and how civilians manage to retain and activate their agency when faced with the possibility of violent repression
This article supports the increasingly salient claim that ideational factors matter in civil war
It expands its contours by showing that these factors affect the behavior of civilians living in warzones, which in turn makes a novel contribution to the emerging literature on civilian agency in conflict settings

Summary

Introduction

Why, when facing very similar war dynamics, do some communities overtly declare their opposition to violent groups while others disguise it by engaging and participating in seemingly unrelated activities? Why, in an already violent context such as civil war, do some communities opt to manifest their dissent through nonviolent methods instead of organizing violence of their own? Answers to these questions will improve our understanding of how armed conflict operates on the ground, how it transforms the lives of ordinary people caught up in war, and how civilians manage to retain and activate their agency when faced with the possibility of violent repression.

Results

Conclusion