Regional Variation in Genocidal Violence: The Case of Bosnia

• In Event: 344 - Regular Session. Peace and Conflict

Abstract

Extant literature on the causes of genocide examines the violence as a single event. However, treating genocide as one event misses an opportunity to identify what drives the violence. To better understand how genocides unfold at more micro levels, I analyze community-level variation in killing and concentration camp location during the genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I draw upon theories from criminology, the study of political and ethnic violence, and genocide studies to analyze determinants of community-level victimization, arguing that criminological theories of social disorganization in particular help inform regional variation in genocidal crime. Overall, I find that killing took place in areas with higher percentages of Bosniak civilians, while concentration camps were located in areas with higher percentages of Serb civilians. Communities with two large ethnic groups also saw higher levels of all violence. Beyond ethnic composition of communities, measures of community disorganization, including divorce and movement of the population, are associated with higher levels of violence. Areas of strategic importance to Serbia, as well as areas that experienced victimization of Serbs during World War II, also saw higher levels of victimization.

Author

• Hollie Nyseth Brehm, The Ohio State University