This project examines violent communal conflict in rural zones in Burkina Faso, a country otherwise known for its relatively low levels of group violence. The study commences with a systematic cross-case analysis at the village level with the goal of shedding light on the factors that explain variation in levels of violent conflict. The second stage of the study proposes a micro-level examination of the factors that contribute to an individual's approval of and participation in violence. The study is executed by means of a mixed methods approach which combines focus group discussions, ethnographic interviews with individuals and a survey of a randomly sampled representative population in areas that have experienced variation in levels of violent conflict. The micro-level investigation tests whether variation in self-ascribed individual identity, traditional and modern institutional capacity, interpersonal trust and levels of social capital in the form of associational life The study finds that when local institutions responsible for land management are weak or lack capacity the chances for violent conflict between producer groups is enhanced. I extend the analysis through an examination of public opinion data collected in Liberia and query whether or not local institutions also play a role in individual participation in violence.
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