Abstract

As an embedded sociocultural code, blood revenge is present in many societies where civil wars occur. Whereas evidence from other social sciences attests to its enduring global significance, security studies scholarship has largely neglected the custom of blood revenge. This article is the first to investigate its relevance for understanding the inception, dynamics, and aftermath of armed conflicts, and to present a comprehensive account of how blood revenge may shape civil wars. Drawing upon multidisciplinary scholarship, cross-case qualitative evidence, and a newly compiled dataset, this proof-of-concept article illustrates how blood revenge influences key dynamics in civil wars—specifically, the processes of violent mobilization, target selection, recruitment, defection, and disengagement. Setting the stage for further inquiries into the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of blood revenge in civil war, this conceptual article suggests why and how this sociocultural code continues to influence civil wars across the world.

摘要

作为一种根深蒂固的社会文化准则，血仇存在于许多发生内战的社会中。尽管来自其他社会科学的证据证明了其持久的全球意义，但安全研究奖学金在很大程度上忽视了血腥报复的习俗。这篇文章是第一篇调查其与理解武装冲突的开始、动态和后果的相关性，并全面介绍血仇如何影响内战的文章。这篇概念验证文章利用多学科学术研究、跨案例定性证据和新编制的数据集，说明了血腥复仇如何影响内战的关键动态——特别是暴力动员、目标选择、招募、叛逃的过程，和脱离接触。为进一步调查原因奠定基础，