The Moral Economies of Ethnic and Nationalist Claims

At a time when states, armed insurgent movements, and ethnic and nationalist political parties make claims based on the defence of communal interests and political and religious ideologies – with often deadly consequences – it is important to understand the discourses and actions that are used to legitimize these claims. This book argues that competing moral economies – the beliefs and practices that normatively regulate and legitimize the distribution of wealth, power, and status in a society – play an important role in ethnic and nationalist conflict.

Bringing together international experts on the politics of ethnicity and nationalism, this book investigates how moral economies have been challenged in identity-based communities in ways that precipitate or exacerbate conflicts both within and between ethnic and nationalist communities. To do so, it combines theoretical chapters with case studies ranging from Kenya and Tanzania to China, Thailand, Israel, and Canada.

While the literature on moral economy is extensive, few scholars have applied the concept to the politics of ethnicity and nationalism. Demonstrating that moral economy analysis can provide a wide range of original and powerful analyses of a variety of different cases, this book provides compelling evidence for its value in understanding and addressing problems associated with ethnic and nationalist mobilization and conflict.