Title: Competing Models of Political Mobilization: The Role of Ethnic Ties
Abstract: Two models of political mobilization are examined. The developmental model stresses class-based dynamics and does not take the group formation behind mobilization to be problematic. The reactive ethnicity model concurs with the developmental model on the importance of class-based dynamics but contends that ethnic ties serve as facilitating conditions for mobilization in a cultural division of labor. A crucial test, one that differs from past efforts, is formulated and applied to British historical data. The test avoids the problem of overlapping class and ethnic interests in a cultural division of labor by treating ethnic ties as facilitating conditions, and not as interests. The resulting contextual formulation allows an unambiguous use of aggregate data and renders the problem of selecting an "outlet" (party) for ethnic interests irrelevant. Results show ethnic ties to be important, but their conjunction with economic disadvantage was not sufficient to trigger concerted political mobilization. A missing necessary component is hipothesized-a leadership component-that would allow more accurate prediction of the strength and direction of the means adopted to resist collective oppression (voting in national elections being one such means).
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 51
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