Group conflict Notes

What Is Group Conflict?

1. Humans have lived in social groups for hundreds of thousands of years.
2. However, the same features that make groups effective can also create group conflict.

What Are The Core Causes of Group Conflict?

Group conflict rarely has a single cause, often developing from a combination of pressures.

Competition over scarce resources

1. When resources are limited, groups may compete over:
   1. Land and territory
   2. Jobs and wages
   3. Water, food, and energy
   4. Political influence that controls distribution

Identity, belonging, and "us vs them" thinking

1. Groups provide identity but identity boundaries can harden.
2. This means people may exaggerate differences, use stereotypes, and interpret events in ways that favor their own group.

Power, inequality, and grievances

1. When power is uneven, benefits and costs are rarely shared equally.
2. One group may consistently receive:
   1. More resources
   2. More protection
   3. More voice in decision-making
3. Over time, this pattern becomes normalized.
4. Privileged groups see it as fair or “just how things are” while disadvantaged groups experience repeated loss or exclusion.

Weak or corrupt institutions

1. Groups rely on institutions to manage disagreement.
2. These systems reduce conflict by:
   1. Setting clear rules
   2. Applying consequences consistently
   3. Offering non-violent ways to resolve disputes
3. However, they fall apart when they start to be seen as unfair, ineffective, or corrupt.
4. When this happens, trust collapses and people stop using official channels as they seek alternative ways to be heard.

How Does Conflict Escalate?

1. Conflicts often escalate through stages.
2. At each stage, choices by leaders, institutions, and ordinary people can reduce or intensify violence.

1. Tension
   1. Differences exist but are not openly fought over.
   2. Rumors, mistrust, and small incidents may increase anxiety.
2. Polarization
   1. Groups begin to see compromise as betrayal.
   2. Media, speeches, or social media can amplify fear and anger.
3. Rebellion/protest
   1. Leaders organize supporters through meetings, symbols, protests, or armed groups.
   2. This often relies on a story that explains who is to blame and what must be done.
4. Civil war
   1. Violence or coercion becomes common.
   2. This may involve riots, repression by authorities, armed clashes, or organized war.
5. War for independence
   1. Parallel governance emerges
6. Conflict outcomes
   1. Outcomes can include negotiated settlement, separation, regime change, or long-term cycles of revenge.
   2. Post-conflict periods often create a "new normal" with new institutions and boundaries.

How Do We Classify Conflicts?

1. Conflicts can be difficult to categorize, and the categories can overlap.
2. A single conflict may start as a rebellion (challenging decisions), become a civil war (multiple factions fighting), and later be understood as an independence struggle (seeking separation).

How Can Group Conflict Be Managed?

1. Not all conflict is destructive.
2. Some conflict leads to reform and fairer systems.
3. Common strategies include:
   1. Strengthening fair legal systems and transparent decision-making
   2. Creating safe channels for participation (elections, councils, unions, student voice)
   3. Protecting minority rights and addressing discrimination
   4. Using mediation and negotiation to find shared interests
   5. Building shared identity (civic values) while respecting cultural diversity