Peace through Self-Determination

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

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2. Introduction: Ethnic Conflict Regulation Through Territorial Autonomy

   • Felix Schulte

   Pages 1-28

3. Explaining Autonomy Success and Failure: An Identity-Based Approach

   • Felix Schulte

   Pages 29-67

4. A Set-Theoretical Analysis of Autonomy Success and Failure

   • Felix Schulte

   Pages 69-124

5. The Causal Mechanisms Behind Autonomy Success and Failure

   • Felix Schulte

   Pages 125-146

6. Conclusion: Increasing the Chances of Autonomy Success

   • Felix Schulte

   Pages 147-162

7. Back Matter

   Pages 163-171

   PDF

Bringing together comparative politics, conflict research and social psychology, this book presents a novel theory to explain the consolidation outcomes of post-conflict autonomy arrangements. It builds on Social Identity Theory and identifies a successful process of ethnic recognition as the key prerequisite for peaceful interethnic cohabitation through territorial self-governance. As this process is highly context-dependent, the study identifies relevant structural and actor-centered factors and analyzes their occurrence in the consolidation periods of nineteen autonomy arrangements worldwide using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). The author concludes that elites accept autonomy reforms if they promise a high degree of self-determination and, at the same time, ethnic recognition is not hindered by horizontal inequalities. Bargaining efforts succeed within inclusive institutions involving non-nationalist parties and international organizations. Autonomy reforms fail if thedegree of self-rule offered is too low and strong inequalities generate new grievances. Autocratic rule, nationalist parties, and a lack of international attention provide a breeding ground for further centrifugal activities. In-depth case studies on South Tyrol and the Chittagong Hill Tracts provide further evidence for the theoretical models.

• territorial autonomy
• ethnic self-determination conflicts
• ethnic identity
• autonomy success and failure
• Social Identity Theory
• self-rule
• South Tyrol
• Chittagong Hill Tracts
• post-conflict institutional engineering
• degree of self-determination
• successful autonomy
• mutual recognition
• Catalonia
• international integration of autonomous regions
• external recognition

• Institute of Political Science, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

  Felix Schulte

Felix Schulte is a lecturer in the Institute of Political Science at Heidelberg University, Germany.

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