Mary Kate Schneider | Loyola University Maryland (original) (raw)
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Papers by Mary Kate Schneider
Terrorism and Political Violence, 2020
Why do rebels leave rebellions? Although much scholarly attention has been devoted to understandi... more Why do rebels leave rebellions? Although much scholarly attention has been devoted to understanding why individuals join rebellions, relatively little is known about why they leave. This paper seeks to fill this deficit by exploring the decision-making process that rebels undertake when determining whether to stay or leave. Based on interview data collected from ten active rebels and four former rebels all engaged (or previously engaged) in conflicts in East Africa, we find that the reason why rebels joined the group influences their decision to leave or stay. Rebels who joined due to grievances are far less likely to escape opportunistically, while rebels who joined due to "greed" display a higher sensitivity to the hardships of rebel life and the pull of alternative options. Understanding why a person joins a rebellion helps predict the factors that will drive them to leave.
African Security, 2017
This study seeks to understand the conditions that led individuals to accept the risks associated... more This study seeks to understand the conditions that led individuals to accept the risks associated with leaving the Lord's Resistance Army. To this end, a large participant survey of former rebels was conducted. Results from the survey suggest that the investment model offers a useful tool for capturing the factors that weigh into an individual's decision-making process as he or she considers disengaging from a group. However, the data also suggest that lack of investment does not equate to disengagement. The perceived opportunity for escape and the costs associated with the risk of escape play critical roles. Consequently, counterinsurgency campaigns and postconflict reconciliation efforts in Africa ought to be jointly calibrated to maximize the likelihood of disengagement.
Terrorism and Political Violence, 2020
Why do rebels leave rebellions? Although much scholarly attention has been devoted to understandi... more Why do rebels leave rebellions? Although much scholarly attention has been devoted to understanding why individuals join rebellions, relatively little is known about why they leave. This paper seeks to fill this deficit by exploring the decision-making process that rebels undertake when determining whether to stay or leave. Based on interview data collected from ten active rebels and four former rebels all engaged (or previously engaged) in conflicts in East Africa, we find that the reason why rebels joined the group influences their decision to leave or stay. Rebels who joined due to grievances are far less likely to escape opportunistically, while rebels who joined due to "greed" display a higher sensitivity to the hardships of rebel life and the pull of alternative options. Understanding why a person joins a rebellion helps predict the factors that will drive them to leave.
African Security, 2017
This study seeks to understand the conditions that led individuals to accept the risks associated... more This study seeks to understand the conditions that led individuals to accept the risks associated with leaving the Lord's Resistance Army. To this end, a large participant survey of former rebels was conducted. Results from the survey suggest that the investment model offers a useful tool for capturing the factors that weigh into an individual's decision-making process as he or she considers disengaging from a group. However, the data also suggest that lack of investment does not equate to disengagement. The perceived opportunity for escape and the costs associated with the risk of escape play critical roles. Consequently, counterinsurgency campaigns and postconflict reconciliation efforts in Africa ought to be jointly calibrated to maximize the likelihood of disengagement.