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Revisiting the greed and grievance explanations for violent internal conflict

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  • Syed Mansoob Murshed

    (Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Netherlands; The Birmingham Business School, Birmingham, UK; and Centre for the Study of Civil War (CSCW), PRIO, Norway)

  • Mohammad Zulfan Tadjoeddin

    (University of western Sydney, Sydney, Australia)

Abstract

Two phenomena have been recently utilised to explain conflict onset among rational choice analysts: greed and grievance. The former reflects elite competition over valuable natural resource rents. The latter argues that relative deprivation and the grievance it produces fuels conflict. Neither the presence of greed or grievance is sufficient for the outbreak of violent conflict, something which requires institutional breakdown, which we describe as the failure of the social contract. The degradation of the social contract is more likely in the context of poverty and growth failure. We provide a synthesis of the greed and grievance hypotheses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Syed Mansoob Murshed & Mohammad Zulfan Tadjoeddin, 2009. "Revisiting the greed and grievance explanations for violent internal conflict," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(1), pages 87-111.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:21:y:2009:i:1:p:87-111
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.1478
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Abbas, Hafiz Syed Mohsin & Xu, Xiaodong & Sun, Chunxia, 2023. "Dynamics of group grievances from a global cohesion perspective," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PB).
    2. Brahmachari, Deborshi, 2019. "Economic Determinants of Ethnic and Insurgent Conflict: an empirical study of northeast Indian states," MPRA Paper 107743, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jan 2021.
    3. Gudrun Østby, 2013. "Inequality and political violence: A review of the literature," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 206-231, June.
    4. Wagschal Uwe & Metz Thomas, 2016. "A Demographic Peace? Youth Bulges and Other Population-Related Causes of Domestic Conflict," Statistics, Politics and Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 7(1-2), pages 55-97, December.
    5. Shyam Hari P., 2020. "Social Grievances and Corporate Greed: Twenty20 and Conflicts in Kizhakkambalam," Review of Development and Change, , vol. 25(1), pages 54-69, June.
    6. James Haselip, 2011. "Transparency, consultation and conflict: Assessing the micro‐level risks surrounding the drive to develop Peru's Amazonian oil and gas resources," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 35(4), pages 283-292, November.
    7. Mohammad Zulfan Tadjoeddin, 2013. "Educated but poor: Explaining localized ethnic violence during Indonesia’s democratic transition," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 24-49, March.
    8. Jonathan Fox & Chris Bader & Jennifer M. McClure, 2019. "Don’t get mad: The disconnect between religious discrimination and individual perceptions of government," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 36(5), pages 495-516, September.
    9. Gebhard Kirchgässner, 2014. "On Self-Interest and Greed," CESifo Working Paper Series 4883, CESifo.
    10. Tiangboho Sanogo, 2019. "Does fiscal decentralization enhance citizens’ access to public services and reduce poverty? Evidence from Côte d’Ivoire municipalities in a conflict setting," Post-Print hal-01875189, HAL.
    11. Safarzynska, Karolina & Sylwestrzak, Marta, 2021. "Resource depletion and conflict: Experimental evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 902-917.
    12. Hubert, Nicolas, 2021. "The nature of peace: How environmental regulation can cause conflicts," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    13. Kishi Roudabeh & Maggio Giuseppe & Raleigh Clionadh, 2017. "Foreign Investment and State Conflicts in Africa," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 23(3), pages 1-22, August.
    14. Sanogo, Tiangboho, 2019. "Does fiscal decentralization enhance citizens’ access to public services and reduce poverty? Evidence from Côte d’Ivoire municipalities in a conflict setting," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 204-221.
    15. Butler, Dana, 2021. "Horizontal inequality and grievances: A lethal combination? A case study analyzing the impact of the Israeli settlement policy on the level of violence of Palestinian citizens living in Hebron," IPE Working Papers 168/2021, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    16. Ly Slesman & Ali Kole & Rizgar Abdlkarim Abdlaziz & Ibrahim D. Raheem, 2024. "Taming the Tides of Internal Conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Role of Political Institutions and Natural Resources," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 16(2), pages 188-211, May.
    17. S Mansoob Murshed & Sara Pavan, 2009. "Identity and Islamic Radicalization in Western Europe," Research Working Papers 16, MICROCON - A Micro Level Analysis of Violent Conflict.

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