Social integration seen as key to racial harmony

ANN ARBOR—What makes ethnic conflicts boil over in some cities while other cities, comparable in many respects, remain peaceful?

Aided by $1.1 million in grants, a University of Michigan researcher is conducting a multi-year study of cities around the world to help answer that difficult question. United Nations and World Bank officials are working with him as well.

Ashutosh Varshney, a U-M professor of political science and former director of the Center for South Asian Studies, broke new ground with work showing ethnic integration, especially in organizations and associations, is the key to harmony.

His earlier work studied cities in India and conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, leading to a model that was able to predict ethnic violence. That theory attracted widespread attention and he now has a team of about 50 people testing the theory further in 18 cities spread over five countries. The countries are India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka Malaysia and Nigeria.

“Ethnocommunal violence is highly locally concentrated in India, primarily in urban areas. Ninety-six percent of the deaths relating to Hindu-Muslim riots came from urban centers,” Varshney said. “But we could find comparable cities where the Hindu-Muslim proportions were the same as in violent cities, yet relations were very peaceful. The peaceful cities had a long tradition of civic integration.

“In villages, everybody seems to know everyone else so there are some sorts of relationships that can act as restraints on a lot of potential violence but in urban societies, you get a lot of anonymity and that makes it harder for people to understand each other. That is why organizations are needed for peace.”

Integrated cities had developed associations and leaders who could work to stop wild rumors that might otherwise inflame groups in comparable, less integrated cities. The peaceful cities, as a result, were better at dialogue on the local and individual levels.

“Every fire starts with a spark,” Varshney said. “Boys can be harassing girls or other boys or someone can throw a pig into a mosque and what starts as a small incident can spin out of control.”

The studies, begun two years ago and expected to run into 2007, are being supported by a $525,000 grant from the Ford Foundation and a $649,540 grant from the Open Society Institute.

Related links:Ashutosh Varshney profile >Ashutosh Varshney’s research >