13. Conflict and Peacemaking

CONCEPT DEFINED

  • Conflict: A perceived incompatibility of actions or goals.
  • Peace: A condition characterized by low levels of hostility and aggression, along with mutually beneficial relationships.

WHAT CREATES CONFLICT?

  1. Social Dilemmas
  2. Competition
  3. Perceived Injustice
  4. Misperception

#1. Social Dilemmas

  • Definition: Arises when choices that are individually rewarding result in collective punishment.
  • Example: Having many children may seem beneficial for an individual's old age but leads to overpopulation.
  • Social Trap: A situation where conflicting parties, by rationally pursuing self-interest, engage in mutually destructive behavior.
    • Examples: Prisoner’s Dilemma, Tragedy of the Commons, The Trucking Game.
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
  • Concept: Involves two suspects arrested for a crime. Each must decide whether to confess or not. The outcomes depend on the choices made by both:
    • If one confesses while the other does not, the confessor goes free while the other faces a harsher penalty.
    • If both confess, they receive moderate sentences.
    • If neither confess, they receive minimal sentences.
  • Nash Equilibrium: The rational decision each suspect makes leads to non-cooperative behavior due to lack of trust, perpetuating conflict in society.
The Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin, 1968)
  • Concept: Shared resources (water, air, food, etc.) become depleted when individuals consume more than their fair share.
  • Outcome: Ultimately leads to resource collapse and scarcity.
The Trucking Game (Deutsch & Krauss, 1960)
  • Scenario: Two truck companies (Acme and Bolt) must choose between using a longer private road or a shorter shared road, leading to competition and conflict over the faster route.
  • Resolution: Ideal solution would be to schedule usage of the common road, although stubborn resistance often leads to disputes.

#2. Competition

  • Muzafer Sherif’s Experiment (1966): Divided boys into two groups at a summer camp. Initial cooperation fostered group identities, but competition led to conflict.
  • Outcome: Establishing a shared goal helped resolve conflict between the groups.

#3. Perceived Injustice

  • Formula for Justice:
    • Overbenefited individuals may feel guilt, leading to apologies or compensation, while underbenefited individuals may experience frustration, leading to conflict.
  • Illustration: Justice can be analyzed through comparing outcomes and inputs between parties.

#4. Misperception

  • Concept: Conflicts often arise from misperceptions of others' motives and goals rather than from truly incompatible goals.
  • Types:
    • Mirror-image perceptions: Both sides view themselves as good and the other as evil. E.g., Middle Eastern conflicts.
    • Simplistic thinking: Conflict leads to stereotyping and oversimplified views of opponents.
    • Shifting perception: Misperceptions can change over time with the conflict dynamics, influencing alliances and enemies.

HOW CAN PEACE BE ACHIEVED?

  1. Contact: Facilitating contact can be beneficial, particularly if it creates friendships and occurs on equal status.
  2. Cooperation: Common external threats or subordinate goals that require cooperative efforts can foster unity.
  3. Communication:
    • Bargaining, mediation, and arbitration are critical methods for effective conflict resolution.
    • Details of effective communication include establishing clear issues, repeating back concerns, and avoiding inflammatory tactics.
  4. Conciliation: Involves expressing desire to reduce tension and engaging in gestures that promote goodwill (e.g., GRIT strategy).

FINAL NOTE

  • Quote: "Peace is not absence of conflict, but the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." – Ronald Reagan