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Foreign Interventions and Community Cohesion in Times of Conflict

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  • Sarah Langlotz

    (University of Göttingen)

Abstract

This paper analyzes how foreign military interventions affect community cohesion in times of conflict. In an environment where formal institutions are unstable or lacking, the community and local informal institutions become more important for households to cope with various shocks. At the same time, the success of foreign interventions crucially depends on cohesion within communities as they are relevant partners in counterinsurgency and reconstruction activities. I exploit a geographic regression discontinuity for the case of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. The findings suggest that the presence of foreign military forces negatively affects community cohesion. Households receive less help from others in their community and are less likely to participate in or rely on local community councils. These effects seem to be driven by a general erosion of trust.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Langlotz, 2021. "Foreign Interventions and Community Cohesion in Times of Conflict," HiCN Working Papers 352, Households in Conflict Network.
  • Handle: RePEc:hic:wpaper:352
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Conflict; foreign military interventions; security missions; social cohesion; informal institutions; Afghanistan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • D79 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Other
    • F51 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Conflicts; Negotiations; Sanctions
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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