IIS Reading assignment 1: Clash of civilizations?
In this article Huntington (1993) explains how the most significant conflicts in the new world will
occur on a cultural level between the seven or eight major civilizations he mentions, in contrast to
preceding conflicts that derived mainly from differential ideology or economic interests. Huntington
(1993) describes this transference of the primordial cause of conflict by describing two levels at which
clashes occur. The micro-level, in which civilizations in specific regions grapple for the control of
territory and each other and the macro-level, in which nations from different civilizations compete
over military and economic power. Furthermore, they clash over political and religious ethics.
Fox (2002) decides to test Huntington’s hypothesis to analyse in numbers whether Huntington’s
theories can be realized and to fill in the apparent gaps in knowledge of the applicability of the
hypothesis on conflicts that Huntington himself had failed to mention. Fox (2002) uses the Minorities
at Risk Phase 3 (MAR3) dataset and additional data regarding civilizations to perform his analysis of
Huntington’s hypothesis. Fox (2002) performs his test in three steps. Step one is to determine how
many conflicts fit into the given categories. Secondly, the number of clashes between probable pairs
of majority and minority civilizations is determined. Lastly, the extremity of annual
(non)civilizational conflicts are determined on a rebellion and protest scale.
1.Fox, Jonathan. “Ethnic Minorities and the Clash of Civilizations: A Quantitative Analysis of
Huntington’s Thesis.” British Journal of Political Science 32, no. 3 (2002): 415–34.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4092247.
2.Huntington, Samuel P. “The Clash of Civilizations?” Foreign Affairs 72, no. 3 (1993): 22–49.
https://doi.org/10.2307/20045621.
In this article Huntington (1993) explains how the most significant conflicts in the new world will
occur on a cultural level between the seven or eight major civilizations he mentions, in contrast to
preceding conflicts that derived mainly from differential ideology or economic interests. Huntington
(1993) describes this transference of the primordial cause of conflict by describing two levels at which
clashes occur. The micro-level, in which civilizations in specific regions grapple for the control of
territory and each other and the macro-level, in which nations from different civilizations compete
over military and economic power. Furthermore, they clash over political and religious ethics.
Fox (2002) decides to test Huntington’s hypothesis to analyse in numbers whether Huntington’s
theories can be realized and to fill in the apparent gaps in knowledge of the applicability of the
hypothesis on conflicts that Huntington himself had failed to mention. Fox (2002) uses the Minorities
at Risk Phase 3 (MAR3) dataset and additional data regarding civilizations to perform his analysis of
Huntington’s hypothesis. Fox (2002) performs his test in three steps. Step one is to determine how
many conflicts fit into the given categories. Secondly, the number of clashes between probable pairs
of majority and minority civilizations is determined. Lastly, the extremity of annual
(non)civilizational conflicts are determined on a rebellion and protest scale.
1.Fox, Jonathan. “Ethnic Minorities and the Clash of Civilizations: A Quantitative Analysis of
Huntington’s Thesis.” British Journal of Political Science 32, no. 3 (2002): 415–34.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4092247.
2.Huntington, Samuel P. “The Clash of Civilizations?” Foreign Affairs 72, no. 3 (1993): 22–49.
https://doi.org/10.2307/20045621.
