Hutu Killing Groups: Social Origins of Genocide

• In Event: Origins and Legacies of Violence

Abstract

Since 1990, countries have seen a dramatic increase in the rates of civil war and genocide. Most infamously, the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda resulted in the deaths of approximately 750 thousand people, constituting 70 percent of the Tutsi population. This case is particularly notable given the speed, spread, and scope of violence. Indeed, over a 4 month period 700,000 people participated in the genocide, with over 200,000 people committing violent offenses against the Tutsi population (e.g., rape, murder, inciting genocide). Some researchers have attributed civilian participation in violence to the spread of violent norms in their community. In this paper, I explore how social learning in the form of shared group membership helped spread norms on use of violence during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.

Author

• Jared Falkenberg Edgerton, Ohio State University