The Globalization of Ethnic Mobilization

Abstract

mobilization. The book skillfully brings together three explanatory frameworks that have been used to explain how movements and norms originating in one part of the world might come to influence people elsewhere: integration in the world system, diffusion of a global human rights ideology, and diffusion of social movements. The empirical heart of The Global Dynamics of Racial and Ethnic Mobilization consists of an analysis of data from two large datasets: the Minorities at Risk data collected by Ted Gurr and his colleagues (Gurr 1993), and the PANDA data collected by Doug Bond and his associates. The first dataset provides information on such things as the magnitude and scope of ethnic protests and conflict in 102 countries between 1965 and 1995. The second dataset includes information on the timing and location of ethnic events in 142 countries between 1984 and 1994. Based on her analysis of these data sets, Olzak concludes that nonviolent protest is more widespread than large-scale violence. She also argues that both forms of ethnic activity peaked in 1989-1990 and then gradually declined between 1990 and 1995. Olzak's observation that ethnic activity and government reactions to it appeared to be in decline by the mid- to late-1990s is the first in a series of refutations of assumptions that typically frame debates about ethnic violence in the literature. In an attempt to understand why the level of violence has fluctuated over time, Olzak explores the link between ethnic activity and state repression. Although causality is difficult to assess with time series graphs, repression seems to follow ethnic activity. Peaks in actions by groups and authorities appear in the same year. However, when violence occurs, violent acts by insurgents seem to precede repression by state authorities, which presumably starts as an attempt to constrain the violence. Obviously, the level of ethnic activity differs substantially across the various countries included in the two datasets. The Global Dynamics of Racial and Ethnic Mobilization is primarily concerned with the reasons why. Olzak's key contribution to answering this question is her focus on the impact of globalization. Her research builds on theories suggesting that the impact of globalization across countries and regions is likely to be uneven. She predicts that core states (that is, countries in the core of the world system from which globalization emanates) will experience higher levels of ethnic mobilization but lower levels of violence. By contrast, countries at the periphery of globalization should experience lower levels of ethnic mobilization, but greater violence. In addition to the effects of integration into the world system, Olzak uses world polity and social movement perspectives to suggest that the rapid diffusion of a global human rights ideology