Homicide and State History

IF 7.1 1区社会学 Q1 SOCIOLOGY

American Sociological Review Pub Date : 2022-11-09 DOI:10.1177/00031224221131758

J. Gerring, C. Knutsen

引用次数: 0

Abstract

We argue that cross-national variability in homicide rates is strongly influenced by state history. Populations living within a state are habituated, over time, to settling conflicts through regularized, institutional channels rather than personal violence. Because these are gradual and long-term processes, present-day countries composed of citizens whose ancestors experienced a degree of “state-ness” in previous centuries should experience fewer homicides today. To test this proposition, we adopt an ancestry-adjusted measure of state history that extends back to 0 CE. Cross-country analyses show a sizeable and robust relationship between this index and lower homicide rates. The result holds when using various measures of state history and homicide rates, sets of controls, samples, and estimators. We also find indicative evidence that state history relates to present levels of other forms of personal violence. Tests of plausible mechanisms suggest state history is linked to homicide rates via the law-abidingness of citizens. We find less support for alternative channels such as economic development or current state capacity.

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凶杀和州历史

我们认为，国家间凶杀率的变化很大程度上受到州历史的影响。随着时间的推移，生活在一个州内的人们习惯于通过正规的制度渠道而不是个人暴力来解决冲突。因为这些都是渐进和长期的过程，所以由祖先在前几个世纪经历过一定程度“国家性”的公民组成的当今国家，今天应该会经历更少的凶杀案。为了检验这一命题，我们采用了一种追溯到公元0年的经祖先调整的州历史测量方法。跨国分析显示，这一指数与较低的凶杀率之间存在着相当大且稳健的关系。当使用州历史和凶杀率的各种衡量标准、对照组、样本和估计量时，结果成立。我们还发现了一些指示性证据，表明国家历史与目前其他形式的人身暴力水平有关。对可信机制的测试表明，州历史通过公民的守法程度与谋杀率有关。我们发现，对经济发展或当前国家能力等替代渠道的支持较少。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

American Sociological Review SOCIOLOGY-

CiteScore

13.30

自引率

3.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a non-profit membership association established in 1905. Its mission is to advance sociology as a scientific discipline and profession that serves the public good. ASA is comprised of approximately 12,000 members including faculty members, researchers, practitioners, and students in the field of sociology. Roughly 20% of the members work in government, business, or non-profit organizations. One of ASA's primary endeavors is the publication and dissemination of important sociological research. To this end, they founded the American Sociological Review (ASR) in 1936. ASR is the flagship journal of the association and publishes original works that are of general interest and contribute to the advancement of sociology. The journal seeks to publish new theoretical developments, research results that enhance our understanding of fundamental social processes, and significant methodological innovations. ASR welcomes submissions from all areas of sociology, placing an emphasis on exceptional quality. Aside from ASR, ASA also publishes 14 professional journals and magazines. Additionally, they organize an annual meeting that attracts over 6,000 participants. ASA's membership consists of scholars, professionals, and students dedicated to the study and application of sociology in various domains of society.