The Impact of Intra-War Processes on Post-Conflict Outcomes

• In Event: Political Development and Legitimacy in Post-Civil War Countries

Abstract

While traditional research on political participation has portrayed negative shocks, such as victimization, as a political participation suppressant, recent experimental studies suggest a positive relationship between exposure to violence and different forms of socio-political participation (e.g. Bateson 2012; Blattman 2009; Bellows and Miguel 2009; Shewfelt 2009). Building on this research, we seek to explore the effects that violent conflict associated with civil war has on women's political participation following the end of intrastate conflict. Our expectation is that the level of exposure to violence and the type of victimization will affect the likelihood and form of women's political participation following civil war. In addition, we posit that the impact of violence on political participation may be different for women as compared with men, not only at the individual or community levels, but also at the regional and/or national levels. We propose to examine and test our theoretical expectations by looking at the universe of civil wars in the post-cold war period.

Authors

• Caroline A. Hartzell, Gettysburg College

• Burcu Savun, University of Pittsburgh

• Lindsay Reid, University of California, Davis

• Jessica Stanton, University of Minnesota