Strategies of Resistance

Abstract

Political resistance is manifested in a variety of ways, including violent and nonviolent methods. Though violence and nonviolence are often treated as analytically distinct phenomena, this dissertation argues that there is value in understanding how the methods are related, and how underlying factors lead to the use of one over the other. There are many resistance groups which use a combination of both violent and nonviolent tactics, and only by examining these methods in conjunction with one another can we more fully understand their use. To understand the efficacy of jointly examining violent and nonviolent tactics, this dissertation addresses the topic from three primary perspectives. The introductory chapter offers the primary questions and puzzles this dissertation will explore. Following that, chapter two, is the first primary perspective to be addressed: the individual level. The arguments in chapter two revolve around personal networks, and the characteristics of those networks that impact views on the use of nonviolence by violent groups. Chapter three takes a state and environmental perspective, and identifies factors unique to the state and their impact on the likelihood of violence and nonviolence. Chapter four examines organizations as the unit of analysis, and inter-organizational characteristics are assessed for their impact on the use of nonviolence by violent groups. The concluding chapter brings together the insights gained from the empirical chapters, and offers suggestions for future efforts. Overall, I find that violent and nonviolent tactics share underlying correlates that impact their use, and that their joint examination offers insights on group behavior otherwise unavailable. A unified approach to the range of conflict methods offers new insight and understanding to conflict and conflict processes.