Why Men Rebel

Jul 3, 2026

Why Men Rebel examines the causes and processes of political violence through an integrated theory of social and political drivers. Building on arguments developed in the late 1960s and published in 1970, it develops concepts such as relative deprivation, the intensity and scope of deprivation, rising expectations, demonstration effects, and the social origins of deprivation. The book further addresses how socialization, tradition, legitimacy, ideologies, utilities, communication, coercive balance, and institutional support shape violent conflict across regimes and dissidents.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages446

Reading Time11 h 27 min

Introduction to the Fortieth Anniversary Paperback Edition of Why Men Rebel

EXPLANATIONS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE

RELATIVE DEPRIVATION AND THE IMPETUS TO VIOLENCE

THE INTENSITY AND SCOPE OF RELATIVE DEPRIVATION

SOCIAL ORIGINS OF DEPRIVATION

PERSPECTIVES ON VIOLENCE AND POLITICS

THE COERCIVE BALANCE

THE BALANCE OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

CAUSES AND PROCESSES OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE: A CONCLUSION

APPENDIX: SUMMARY LIST OF HYPOTHESES AND COROLLARIES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

# TED ROBERT GURR Fortieth Anniversary Edition # WHY MEN REBEL Page Intentionally Left Blank WHYMEN REBEL # Ted Robert GurrFortieth Anniversary Paperback Edition ROUTLEDGE First published 2011by Paradigm Publishers Published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square,Milton Park,Abingdon,Oxon OX144RN711 Third Avenue,New York,NY 10017,USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor &Francis Group,an informa business Copyright ◎2011,Taylor &Francis. The original hardcover edition of Why Men Rebel was published by Princeton UniversityPress ◎1970. The original paperback edition was published by Princeton University Press ◎1971. The Fortieth Anniversaryhardcover edition was published byTaylor &Francis ◎2010. All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced orutilised in any form or by any electronic,mechanical,or other means,nowknown or hereafter invented,including photocopying and recording,or inany information storage or retrieval system,without permission in writingfrom the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks,and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data for this book is available from theLibrary of Congress ISBN 13:978-1-59451-913-0(hbk) ISBN 13:978-1-59451-914-7(pbk) Designed and Typeset in New Caledonia by Straight Creek Bookmakers. To my daughters Lisa Anne and Andrea Marieland the next generationJonathan and Natalia Gurr-Lavanand Alysa Anne Gribben Page Intentionally Left Blank Contents INTRODUCTION TO NEW PAPERBACK EDITIONixINTRODUCTIONXX 1. EXPLANATIONS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE3What Is to Be Explained?7Toward an Integrated Theory of Political Violence12The Nature of Social Theory16 2. RELATIVE DEPRIVATION AND THE IMPETUS TO VIOLENCE22Relative Deprivation Defined24The Sources of Aggression30Relative Deprivation and Analogous Causes of Political Violence37Patterns of Relative Deprivation46The RD Models:Some Qualifications and Uses56 3. THE INTENSITY AND SCOPE OF RELATIVE DEPRIVATION59Determinants of Intensity:The Degree of Relative Deprivation60Determinants of Intensity:Value Salience66Determinants of Intensity:Number of Opportunities73Some Effects of Anticipation and Persistence of RD79Determinants of the Scope of Relative Deprivation83SOURCES OF RISING EXPECTATIONS92Demonstration Effects:Exposure to New Modes of Life93Demonstration Effects:New Ideologies103Demonstration Effects:Value Gains of Reference Groups105Demonstration Effects:Value Disequilibria109Some Effects of Value Mobility113 4. SOCIAL ORIGINS OF DEPRIVATION: 5. SOCIAL ORIGINS OF DEPRIVATION: DETERMINANTS OF VALUE CAPABILITIES123General Determinants of Value Capabilities123Welfare Value Capabilities and Political Violence129Interpersonal Value Capabilities and Political Violence134Power Values and Political Violence143SOCIALIZATION,TRADITION,AND LEGITIMACY155Two Basic Hypotheses155Psychocultural Justifications for Violence160The Politicization of Discontent177The Legitimacy of Political Systems183 6. PERSPECTIVES ON VIOLENCE AND POLITICS: vii 7. PERSPECTIVES ON VIOLENCE AND POLITICS:IDEOLOGIES,UTILITIES,AND COMMUNICATION193Doctrinal Justifications for Political Violence193The Utility of Violence210The Communication of Aggressive Symbols223Summary229 8. THE COERCIVE BALANCE232The Balance of Regime and Dissident Coercion233Regime Coercion237A Note on Rational Conflict Models and Negative Sanctions259Dissident Coercion260 9. THE BALANCE OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT274The Balance of Regime and Dissident Institutional Support274Some Structural Determinants of Institutional Support282Some Functional Determinants of Institutional Support296Instrumental vs.Expressive Functions of Associational Groups310 10. CAUSES AND PROCESSES OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE:A CONCLUSION317Determinants of the Magnitude of Political Violence:A Summary 319Determinants of the Gene

FAQs

What central phenomenon does Why Men Rebel aim to explain?

It focuses on explaining political violence, including what must be explained, and how an integrated theory can account for its causes and development.

How does the book connect relative deprivation to political violence?

It defines relative deprivation as a driver of the impetus to violence and analyzes how sources of aggression and patterns of deprivation relate to violent outcomes.

Which political mechanisms does the book emphasize for understanding violence between regimes and dissidents?

It highlights both a coercive balance (regime versus dissident coercion) and the balance of institutional support, including how structural and functional determinants influence violence.

Jul 3, 2026

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