Testing the Collective Action Theory of Genocide

• In Event: Terrorism, Patterns and Trends

Abstract

As an interdisciplinary field, criminology is well suited to combine the knowledge we have on genocide from these disparate fields to develop one coherent theory of genocide as a crime. John Hagan and Wenona Rymond-Richmond (2009) presented a collective action theory of genocide based upon research in Darfur. This paper tests Hagan’s theory on ten episodes of genocide. The theory is modified slightly by adding the element of a triggering catalyst and broadening the scope of the theory to explain genocide beyond using solely the variable of race. To analyze the usefulness of this new theoretical perspective on genocide, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is used to analyze ten episodes of genocide, as well as three cases where genocide did not occur. QCA analysis found some support for Hagan’s collective action theory of genocide, as well as the modifications made to the theory. Dividing the episodes of genocide into those committed by the military alone and those committed by the military plus civilians, further illustrates the importance of collectivization and the triggering catalyst.

Author

• William R. Pruitt, Virginia Wesleyan College