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Segregation and conflict: An empirical analysis

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  • Corvalan, Alejandro
  • Vargas, Miguel

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between segregation and several intensities of civil conflict. Our results are as follows. First, both ethnic segregation and language segregation exhibit a strong and robust correlation with the incidence of conflict at any intensity level; that is, from civil wars to social disorder and protests. Conversely, religious segregation does not affect any type of conflict. Second, ethnic segregation and language segregation are related to the escalation and continuation of conflict but are unrelated to its onset. Regardless of the mechanism of segregation, its effect is unrelated to the outbreak of violence but it is related to the reinforcing of existing conflicts. Third, two channels of influence are trust and secession threats, in the sense that the measures associated with those channels are influenced by segregation and, at the same time, reduce the effect of the geographic group concentration on conflict.

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  • Corvalan, Alejandro & Vargas, Miguel, 2015. "Segregation and conflict: An empirical analysis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 212-222.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:116:y:2015:i:c:p:212-222
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2015.05.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Juan I Block & Rohan Dutta & David K Levine, 2021. "Leaders and Social Norms: On the Emergence of Consensus or Conflict," Levine's Working Paper Archive 786969000000001758, David K. Levine.
    3. Richard Bluhm & Martin Gassebner & Sarah Langlotz & Paul Schaudt, 2021. "Fueling conflict? (De)escalation and bilateral aid," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(2), pages 244-261, March.
    4. Amelie F. Constant & Simone Schüller & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2024. "Ethnic spatial dispersion and immigrant identity," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 205-230, April.
    5. María D. C García-Alonso & Zaki Wahhaj, 2021. "Social diversity and bridging identity," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 73(3), pages 1324-1344.
    6. Andreas Kammerlander & Kerstin Unfried, 2022. "Sending peace home?! The effect of political favoritism on conflict," HiCN Working Papers 378, Households in Conflict Network.
    7. Lévêque, Christophe & Saleh, Mohamed, 2018. "Does industrialization affect segregation? Evidence from nineteenth-century Cairo," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 40-61.
    8. Vargas, Miguel & Garrido, Nicolás, 2021. "The spatial concentration of high-skilled workers and city productivity: the case of Latin America," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), December.
    9. Tilman Brück & Moritz Hennicke & Antje Schumann, 2018. "Ethnic Inequality and Forced Displacement," Working Papers ECARES 2018-27, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    10. Roberto Ezcurra & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2017. "Does ethnic segregation matter for spatial inequality?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(6), pages 1149-1178.
    11. Hodler, Roland & Schaudt, Paul & Vesperoni, Alberto, 2023. "Mining for peace," CEPR Discussion Papers 17807, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Antonio Di Paolo & Khalifany-Ash Shidiqi, 2024. "“Education and Ethnic Intermarriage: Evidence from Higher Education Expansion in Indonesia”," AQR Working Papers 202403, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised May 2024.
    13. Carlos Mejia-Arbelaez & Olga L. Sarmiento & Rodrigo Mora Vega & Mónica Flores Castillo & Ricardo Truffello & Lina Martínez & Catalina Medina & Oscar Guaje & José David Pinzón Ortiz & Andres F Useche &, 2021. "Social Inclusion and Physical Activity in Ciclovía Recreativa Programs in Latin America," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-24, January.

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