Practical Socialization and Political Violence: How the Family, Ethnicity, and Religion Matter

• In Event: 129 - Section on Peace, War, and Social Conflict Paper Session. New Directions in Peace, War and Social Conflict

Abstract

This study combines socialization arguments from criminology with insights from practice theory to improve our understanding of the micro-foundations of political violence. Evidence based on fifteen-country survey data from early 21st century Sub-Saharan Africa provides support for the violent practical socialization thesis. Participation in political violence is partially an outcome of acquisition of behavioral templates and definitions in the context of social institutions. The family, ethnicity, and religion play important roles in socializing people into using physical force when pursuing political goals. Persons who experience or who support patriarchal family practices, who expect group favoritism, or who adopt ethnic or religious identifications opposed to the nation-state are more likely to participate in political violence than persons who do not have the same experiences. Persons actively engaged in a religious practice, however, are less likely to engage in political violence. The study also finds that participation and willingness to participate in political violence are not influenced by the same factors.

Author

• Ana Velitchkova, University of Notre Dame