Group Motivation In Civil War

Group Motivation and Civil War Onset Civil war onset has notably been attributed to three different possible factors – opportunity for insurgency, economic opportunity, and identity motivations. At their core, civil wars rely on groups of insurgents, bound together by some common identity or goal, in order to operationalize a rebellion. While individuals in insurgencies may have common goals and take advantage of the same opportunities, these groups have to already exist in some politicized fashion in order for a rebellion to mobilize. Identities, be they ethnic, religious, or any other trove of possible affiliations, form the basis for these divides. In order for a theory to fully address the circumstances surrounding the onset of Civil
This analysis of civil war onset relies on the country’s GDP per capita and the effect this metric has on individuals’ motivations; when a country has slow economic progress and the GDP/capita is low, individuals have a lower opportunity cost to joining an insurgency (Collier and Hoeffler 569). This, compounded with a state with trafficable resources that aren’t protected by the state, provides an economic incentive to insurgents. Additionally, Collier and Hoeffler argue that this economic incentive applies to groups in terms of securing funding or
Horowitz’s article goes on to imply that the conflicts plaguing areas with strong ethnic and religious divisions are not the only civil wars affected by group dynamics, “The intensity of any conflict is, in large part, a function of the relative strength of group claims” (Horowitz 215). This is key to understanding civil war onset as a more general concept – rebellions are fueled by group claims, and these groups for via shared identity, grievances, or from other cleavages that have formed. The Cederman et al article also finds its focus in group action and motivation, as groups under this model are likely to rebel in order to gain state power. While the power of the state here is a present, important force, the agency remains with the groups as they attempt to acquire the resources they desire and gain political power.