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Secession, Legitimacy, and the Use of Child Soldiers

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Secession, Legitimacy, and the Use of Child Soldiers University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Political Science Political Science 2012 Creed vs. Deed: Secession, Legitimacy, and the Use of Child Soldiers Trace C. Lasley University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Lasley, Trace C., "Creed vs. Deed: Secession, Legitimacy, and the Use of Child Soldiers" (2012). Theses and Dissertations--Political Science. 2. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/polysci_etds/2 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Political Science at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Political Science by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained and attached hereto needed written permission statements(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine). I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless a preapproved embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s dissertation including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Trace C. Lasley, Student Dr. Karen Mingst, Major Professor Dr. Clayton Thyne, Director of Graduate Studies CREED VS. DEED: SECESSION, LEGITIMACY AND THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS ____________________________ DISSERTATION ____________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Trace Cody Lasley Lexington, Kentucky Co-Directors: Dr. Karen Mingst, Lockwood Professor of International Relations and Dr. Clayton Thyne, Associate Professor of Political Science Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © Trace Cody Lasley 2012 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION CREED VS. DEED: SECESSION, LEGITIMACY AND THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS The use of child soldiers has troubled human rights activists, policy-makers, and local communities for decades. Although rebellions around the world routinely use children in their activities, many do not. Despite its overwhelming importance for conflict resolution, the topic of child soldiers remains understudied. My research blends classic rational choice and constructivist themes to develop an explanation for when child soldiers will be used, and when they will be avoided. The likelihood of child recruitment is influenced by the value of international opinion; this is determined by the groups' long-term goals. Secessionist rebellions desire to have their own state. However, statehood is jealously guarded by the international community and is only granted under extreme circumstances. The use of child soldiers has been condemned around the world as a crime against humanity, and it can curtail international support. Thus, secessionists should be the least likely rebel type to use child soldiers out of a concern to appear legitimate. Opportunistic rebellions face few constraints in their recruitment efforts. They do not desire international support because their long-term goal is the same as their short term goal: profit. Instead of refraining from using children in order to curry favor with external parties, they will abduct, adopt, and abuse children because they are cheaper to employ than adults. Opportunists are unconcerned with losing legitimacy or reducing the chances of victory. Therefore, they should be the most likely to use child soldiers. Concern for costs can affect all rebels. As duration grows, constraints over long- term legitimacy diminish. Therefore, all rebellions should be more likely to use child soldiers as duration increases. I test my theory quantitatively by looking at 103 rebel groups active between 1998-2008. I explore rebellions in Somalia, Colombia, Afghanistan and Sudan to further elucidate the causal mechanisms. There is considerable empirical support for the theory. These results offer policy-relevant conclusions in the areas of rehabilitation and conflict resolution. More importantly, they offer a workable strategy to curb the use of child soldiers in civil war. KEYWORDS: Civil War, International Norms, Child Soldiers, Secession, Rebel Behavior _______Trace C. Lasley_____ Student's Signature _______August 13, 2012____ Date CREED VS. DEED: SECESSION, LEGITIMACY AND THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS By Trace Cody Lasley ___________Dr. Karen Mingst_____ Co-Director of Dissertation ___________Dr. Clayton Thyne____ Co-Director of Dissertation ___________Dr. Clayton Thyne____ Director of Graduate Studies ______________August 13, 2012___ Date To Danielle ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is the product of a wide network of friends, family and mentors. Without their encouragement, completion would not have been possible. I am forever indebted to each of them for their advice and support. First, my dissertation chairs deserve much praise for their tireless efforts along the way. Karen Mingst never lost patience even when I gave her several opportunities to do so. Throughout this project she provided a wealth of advice and comments, and never let me settle for anything less than my absolute best. This project would not be what it is without her invaluable insight. Where Karen provided the push, Clayton Thyne provided the pull. His belief in my abilities carried me through the entire project and through my graduate school career. From seminar paper, to prospectus, and finally to dissertation, Clay made me believe in myself. This project would not be were it not for his mentorship. The remaining members of my committee, Monica Udvardy, and Horace Bartilow provided much needed advice and constructive comments. With their help, I was able to produce a solid work of scholarship. Further, advice by Geoffrey Wallace was indispensible. He offered a wealth of direction and guidance. With the assistance of Andrew Swan and the staff at the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization in Brussels and The Hague, the qualitative section of my dissertation is a much better product. Mehari Taddele, Duke Kent Brown and the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa deserve similar praise. In addition, I was supported by a strong faculty of scholars directly and indirectly. Dan Morey, Emily Beaulieu, and Steve Voss warrant special thanks for their support. In addition, I would like to thank an equally supportive faculty from my undergraduate career that added to my intellectual maturity. David Nickell taught me that it is not what you think but how you think, and there is always more to learn. Berry Craig taught me that, despite what many students of history may think, learning can be fun (and is often entertaining). Jonathan Powell, a friend and colleague, also contributed to my success. He endured hours of brainstorming and offered academic and emotional support. His excitement for my project mirrored my own and drove me to complete my dissertation. I am fortunate to have a family that provided the crucial encouragement needed to succeed. My mother, Karen, who was always beaming with pride when I told her of my most simple accomplishments, I would never have gotten as far as I have without her. My siblings, Todd, Tara, and Torre each supported me in their own way. Unfortunately, I have to break my promise of only putting “T. Lasley” on my degree, preventing us all from using it when we need to. My friend Lisa Gish deserves special thanks for her iii emotional support as well. To Kim McLean and everyone in my new family, thank you for making me feel so welcome, and for being interested in my academic progress. Finally, to my wife, Danielle, this project is dedicated to you. You know better than anyone what it took. Without you, it would not have happened; without you, I would not be where I am; without you, I would not be who I am. Thank you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………iii List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………viii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………….ix Acronyms……………………………………………………………………………….....x PART ONE: THEORY ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................
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