Includes bibliographical references (p. 353-385) and index.

1. Ethnic Conflict and Approaches to Understanding It -- 2. Levels of Analysis and Ethnic Conflict -- 3. Northern Ireland: Protestants, Catholics, and 'The Troubles' -- 4. Bosnia: War in the Balkans -- 5. Sudan: Arabs versus Africans and Darfur in Crisis -- 6. Sri Lanka: Protracted Rebellion -- 7. Israel and Palestine: Two Peoples, One Land -- 8. Conclusion.

As ethnic groups clash, the international community faces the challenge of understanding the multiple causes of violence in order to create solutions that will bring about peace. Neal Jesse and Kristen Williams bridge two subfields of political science in Ethnic Conflict-international relations and comparative politics-allowing for greater insight into the causes of ethnic violence. The authors systematically apply a levels of analysis framework, looking at the individual, domestic, and international contexts to better explore and understand the complexity of the conflict. In five richly detailed case studies, the authors apply the levels of analysis to key disputes around the world, including Bosnia, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Sudan. A full-page map in each case study shows geographic, political, demographic, and cultural data affecting that particular conflict, giving readers a better understanding of the dynamics in play.