Interconnected modernities,ethnic relations and violence

Abstract

The pacifist stance of western modernity that shaped the development of sociology and ethnic studies marginalises sociopolitical violence or construes it as an exceptional phenomenon of contemporary social life. The examination of the formation of Rwandan modernity and its recent history of genocidal violence highlights the connections that exist between peace and violence historically, contextually and situationally. In this article the author adopts the theoretical framework ‘interconnected modernities’ to emphasise how partial connections and selective choices made in the formation of Rwandan modernity shaped the country’s peaceful and violent ethnic relations. Subsequently, the author problematises the exceptionalism of genocidal violence through the analysis of demographic data that contextualises the Rwandan genocide as violence embedded in social life. Lastly, the author introduces the category Invisible Majority to highlight the permeable boundaries that exist between peaceful and violent relations. In conclusion, the author calls for violence to be mainstreamed in sociology and ethnic studies as a key element of the ‘dark side’ of interconnected modernities.