Author Date

2024-12-09

Degree Name

Department

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

College

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

Defense Date

2024-12-03

Publication Date

2024-12-03

First Faculty Advisor

Dr. Celeste Beesley

First Faculty Reader

Dr. Valerie Hudson

Honors Coordinator

Dr. Scott Cooper

Keywords

cousin marriage, state stability, terrorism, kinship networks, gender

Abstract

This thesis examines the impact of cousin marriage prevalence on state stability and the development and behaviors of terrorist organizations, with a special focus on the destabilization of states through the power of kinship networks. Cousin marriage, often intertwined with other social practices such as patrilocality and polygyny, creates an isolated power structure that reinforces the fraternal structure present in kinship networks. The kinship network then uses the power gained through the trust in the community to undermine the legitimate rule of law. This research emphasizes the importance of understanding cousin marriage and its contribution to state stability and finds statistical significance in gendered and traditional indicators of state stability. While the results of the terrorism research are much less conclusive, in future research, cousin marriage could help understand recruitment mechanisms by terrorist organizations.