New research investigates the effects of ethnic riots on prosocial cooperation in Kyrgyzstan.
📍 BACKGROUND: The 2010 Osh riot involved violence between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, with outside perpetrators killing over 400 Uzbeks. This study challenges conventional wisdom about ethnic conflict's impact.
🔍 EXPERIMENTAL SURVEY & CAUSAL IDENTIFICATION:
- Measured prosocial behavior via unobtrusive experiments in a representative survey
- Exploited variation based on neighborhood distance to armored military vehicles (orchestrating riot)
📊 FINDINGS:
- Victim neighborhoods showed significantly reduced prosocial behaviors compared to safe areas.
- This reduction was observed both within the victimized ethnic group and across groups.
🤔 MECHANISMS & IMPLICATIONS:
- Qualitative interviews identified two key mechanisms: Uzbeks felt abandoned by coethnics, and variation in victimization created suspicion.
