Gudrun Østby
Polarization, Horizontal Inequalities and Violent Civil Conflict
Peace Research Institute Oslo|University of Oslo
recent largen studies civil war conclude inequality increase risk violent conflict article argues conclusions may premature studies usually test conflict potential vertical inequality ie income inequality individuals tend neglect group aspect inequality case studies suggest matters conflict concept closely linked economic ethnic polarization horizontal inequalities inequalities coincide identitybased cleavages horizontal inequalities may enhance grievances group cohesion among relatively deprived thus facilitate mobilization conflict article provides quantitative test argument exploring whether various forms polarization horizontal inequalities affect probability civil conflict onset across 36 developing countries period 19862004 national household data demographic health surveys dhs used construct measures ethnic social economic polarization well vertical horizontal inequalities along two dimensions social economic article also introduces combined measure ethnicsocioeconomic polarization alternative horizontal inequality measure robust results panel crosssection analyses show social polarization horizontal social inequality positively related conflict outbreak variables purely ethnic polarization interindividual inequalities combined ethnicsocioeconomic polarization significant