Description
Conflicts involve powerful experiences. The residue of these experiences is captured by the concept and language of emotion. Indiscriminate killing creates fear; targeted violence produces anger and a desire for vengeance; political status reversals spawn resentment; cultural prejudices sustain ethnic contempt. These emotions can become resources for political entrepreneurs. A broad range of Western interventions are based on a view of human nature as narrowly rational. Correspondingly, intervention policy generally aims to alter material incentives ('sticks and carrots') to influence behavior. In response, poorer and weaker actors who wish to block or change this Western implemented 'game' use emotions as resources. This book examines the strategic use of emotion in the conflicts and interventions occurring in the Western Balkans over a twenty-year period. The book concentrates on the conflicts among Albanian and Slavic populations (Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, South Serbia), along with some comparisons to Bosnia.
Table of Contents
Part I. Background and Theory: 1. Western intervention in the Balkans: the strategic use of emotion in conflict; 2. Emotions as resources; 3. The strategic use of emotions I: theory; 4. Western intervention games; 5. The strategic use of emotions II: developing strategies, examples from non-Balkan cases; 6. The strategic use of emotions III: hypotheses; Part II. Cases and Tests: 7. Background to Western intervention in the Balkans; 8. The case of the Roma; 9. Background on Kosovo; 10. Kosovo: waiting for the West; 11. Kosovo: intervention games I; 12. Kosovo: intervention games II; 13. Kosovo conclusions; 14. South Serbia; 15. Macedonia; 16. Bosnia; 17. Montenegro; 18. Conclusion.
