by Stephen Ryan

About the author: Stephen Ryan is a lecturer in peace studies at Magee College of the University of Ulster in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and author of Ethnic Conflict and International Relations, from which the following is excerpted.

In [a] general atmosphere of anxiety minorities will be more feared and distrusted than might otherwise be the case. Ethnic groups may be seen as a threat to state security; a Trojan horse serving the interests of outside powers. As a result dominant groups will be less tolerant to ethnic minorities, for in the words of Georg Simmel “groups in any sort of war situation are not tolerant. They cannot afford individual deviation from the unity of the coordinating principle beyond a definitely limited degree.” In modern states, of course, nationalism is often the major...