A Study On Ethnic Conflict And Institution Design In The Process Of Modern Nation-State Building

The reality of ethnic conflict in some countries and regions reveals that ethnic conflict is still intractable and difficult to settle today. Ethnic conflict, as a threat to be controlled, is a source of great challenges to the political stability and of social order in some multi-ethnic countries. Ethnic conflict, especially ethnic violence, leads to tremendous human suffering. It also caused economic recession, so that the whole community is difficult to move towards prosperity. Ethnic conflict is one particular form of conflict:that in which the goals of at least one party are defined in ethnic terms, and in which the primary fault line of confrontation in one of ethnic distinctions. Whatever the concrete issues may be over which conflict erupts, at least one of the parties will explain its dissatisfaction in ethnic terms.Ethnic conflict is a consequence of ethnic pluralism. However, ethnic pluralism itself is not a sufficient cause of ethnic conflict per se. Ethnic conflict stems from the political, economic and other aspects of the more deep-seated structural factors. Based on the literature of ethnic conflict study in China and abroad, this dissertation defined the principal terms and concepts in ethnic conflict study, explores the characteristics and the types of ethnic conflict. On this basis, this dissertation takes the subject of ethnic conflicts triggered by ethnic nationalism in the process of modern nation-state building, resources competition for scarce and valued resources, as well as ethnic conflict in the outset of democratic transition. At last, this dissertation provides a detailed political analysis of the general thought and institutional arrangement of containing ethnic conflict.The first main point of this dissertation is that ethnic nationalism is not only a highly politicized ethnic conflict, but also the most difficult type of conflict. In the process of the modern state building, If the state elite could not build an inclusive and adaptive political system, it can easily lead to the rise of ethnic nationalism and the ethno-national cries, which appears to be especially so in cases for territorially concentrated ethnic group whose desire is neither assimilation nor cultural autonomy, but a more complete political independence from the dominant society. Secondly, the success of national integration depends on the effectiveness of economic integration and social integration. However, there is always unevenness in rates of social change among different ethnic groups leading in turn to imbalances in their relative access to economic resources, educational advantages, and political power. Indeed, resources competition between the different ethnic groups within a country in the process of modernization, also can becomes one of structural factors that lead to ethnic conflict. The ability of diverse groups in multiethnic societies to live together in relative harmony while maximizing equality in the distribution of political and economic resources among them depends in large measure on the presence of a central state with sufficient power to contain intergroup conflict to a tolerable degree, but fair enough to win the allegiance of all ethnic groups.Thirdly, specific ethnic political structure of a country is actually a dynamic equilibrium of inter-ethnic political balance. Democratic transition, which means a series of sub-political changes and the opening of the political process, can change the structure of the balance of the ethnic politics, and creates uncertainties. In this case, due to the emergence of the new political opportunity structure, and political elite play the ethnic card by manipulating pre-existing ethnic tensions and democratic freedoms, may lead to ethnic conflict, resulting in a failed democratic transformation.Fourthly, ethnic conflict is the product of a particular political structure and social process, so its development direction is also affected by the political regulation and control. From the point of view of political practice, different states have different strategies. Some are trying to eliminate differences in order to contain ethnic conflict, some are trying to curb ethnic conflict through the management of differences. In view of the development of globalization, to eliminate differences has no moral justification, but also may lagged behind the speed of the diversification itself. However, for many countries, if not break out the myth of homogeneity of national integration, to establish an accommodative institution and governance structure, it will be hard to settle ethnic conflict in the long run.