Ethnic Conflict:
The Back Story 
Some Definitions 
•	Ethnic Group
–	Group of people united by a common inherited culture, racial similarity, common religion, and belief in common history and ancestry who exhibit a strong psychological sentiment of belonging to the group
•	Ethnoreligious Group
–	Group in which the ethnicity and the religion are inseparable
•	Two types of ethnic groups:
–	Homeland Groups
•	Group is a longtime resident of a given territory
•	This affords them legal and moral rights over that land
–	Diaspora Groups 
•	Group displaced from their homeland
•	They expect no legal or moral rights over that land
•	They expect non-discrimination in their new homes 
•	Ethnic Nation
–	An ethnic group which demonstrates political and statist ideas
–	More usual in homeland groups than diasporas
•	Nation-State 
–	An ethnic nation that is coterminous with the boundaries of the state
•	Multinational States
–	A state containing multiple ethnic groups/nations
National Self-Determination
•	Wilson’s 14 Points (1918):
–	IX. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality
–	X. The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development
–	XII. The Turkish portion of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, …
–	XIII. An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be assured a free and secure access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant.
•	Atlantic Charter (1941):
–	Second, they desire to see no territorial changes that do not accord with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned;
–	Third, they respect the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live; and they wish to see sovereign rights and self government restored to those who have been forcibly deprived of them;
•	UN Charter (1945):
–	Art I, §2: To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace
Nationalisms
•	Ethnic Nationalism
–	Loyalty to the ethnic group first
–	Membership in the state based on ethnicity
•	Civic Nationalism
–	Loyalty to the state first
–	Membership in the state based on citizenship
Nationalism
•	When did we start feeling nationalist feelings?
•	Remember:
–	Ethnic Group: Group of people united by a common inherited culture, racial similarity, common religion, and belief in common history and ancestry who exhibit a strong psychological sentiment of belonging to the group
–	Ethnic Nation: An ethnic group which demonstrates political and statist ideas
•	Medieval Europe:
–	The ‘state’ was not based on the individual
–	Nationalism could not occur under such circumstances
•	Enlightenment:
–	Knowledge is based on personal sensations.
–	Political Result: 
•	Power of the government resides in the people
•	Ideals of popular rights (Locke, etc.)
–	Contradiction?
•	If knowledge is personal, then how can we make an absolute moral statement about popular rights?
Nationalism Philosophers
•	Kant resolved the Enlightenment contradiction.
–	Separated knowledge of morality from knowledge of the world
–	He gave a philosophical underpinning to why the state should be based on the individual, on why national self-determination was an absolute good
–	Other nationalist philosopher include Rousseau (Sovereign) and Hegel (Primacy of Nation-State)
•	The upshot of nationalism philosophy:
–	Humanity is naturally divided into nations
–	Each nation has its particular character
–	The source of all political power is the nation
–	For self-actualization, the people must identify with the nation
–	Nations can only self-actualize within its own state
–	Loyalty to nation-state should override all other loyalties
Nationalism Philosophy
•	Thus:
–	The necessary condition for global freedom and peace is the strengthening of the nation-state
•	But: Qu’est-ce qu’une nation?
–	A nation comes into existence when the population of a given territory perceives itself to be a nation and equates citizenship with nationality. (Renan)
•	Staatsnation
–	Citizenship → Nationality 
•	Kulturnation
–	Nationality → Citizenship 
Zerik Kay Smith’s 2000
•	What was Smith’s purpose in writing this paper?
•	What theory was she testing?
•	Which factors did she test?
•	What methods did she use?
•	What were her results?
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•	What are your reactions?
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Reading Assignments:
•	Taras and Ganguly 2006: 6-20
•	Riggs 2002: 35-47