Conflict From Identity §

• Identity are ethnicity, tribe, kin, class, caste, gender, and race
  • used as justification for inequality in resource allocation and political oppression (Identity Politics)
• Many conflicts come from communal nature of incompatible perception and expressions of differences among groups of diverse ethnic and religious affiliations
  • To solve a conflict you must solve the root cause first. And Identity is involved in these root causes.

Identity and Conflict Mobilization §

• Identify formation is shaped by the context of intergroup rivalry

  • since a strong sense of threat to one’s central commitments provokes hostilities toward another group.
  • violent protest may be only option for the oppressed group to pursue their interests

• Identity can be become a direct source of group mobilization

  • feelings of injustice and relative deprivation derived from the contest.
  • a minority group is treated worse than the majority group

• Group relations are embedded in

  • social hierarchies (ethnic and other status)
  • differences in cultural values: recognition of their cultural values
  • economic disparities: equal economic opportunity
  • resource scarcity: equal access to resources as the majority group
  • disagreement on the distribution of power and wealth: socio-economic distribution creates inequality gap between the groups

• In Nepal, urban/rural divisions have constituted class conflict; religious conflict in India was driven by Hindu-Muslim divisions. In Sri Lanka and Moldova, language became a marker of identity.

• A shared fate and the fear of domination by rival group lead to the formation of group consciousness.

• Differentiated identities are not alone source of violence, but can lead to a deadly conflict in combination with exclusionary acts of leaders and competition for status, position, or material wealth.

  • violence can start with mobilization and politicization of these socio-economic polarizations

Polarization of Identities §

• Group divisions based on identity differentiation are often related to
  • radicalization of conflicts and extreme behavior:
    • manifested in random killings
    • abusive treatment of opposing civilian populations
    • as ethnic clensing, genocide, and racial hate crimes
• In a fight against “enemy” groups, identity suddenly becomes a weapon of ethnic cleansing as seen in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda).

💡 Ex: In Croatia during the first President Franjo Tudman era, the vigilance of the “enemy within us” (referring to Serb enclaves) increased the tendency to develop ethnocentrism in combination with authoritarianism.

Properties & Attributes of Identity §

• The deep and foundational forms of collective selfhood can be manifested in the great variety of
  • distinctive cultural creativities: ranging from art to drama fo literature to philosophy
• Culture is an inevitable element of group distinctiveness
  • social existence is tied to a particular language or a religious community associated with given social practices.
  • people’s beliefs can be common identity
• Various types of elites are involved in shaping the content and forms of collective identities in interaction with a broader social environment.
  • shaping political party mobilization, representation, and agendas of each identity
• Identity can be constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed through the reinterpretation of shared experiences, collective memories and myths in relation to those of others.

  • identity can be constructed for an individual through subconcious means that can construct/evolve a person’s identity to either fit one group or another.

    💡 Ex: living environment, social interactions, mentorship, life experiences

• Beyond instrumental forms of social action, identity-based action is linked to not only rational- instrumental incentives but also values, beliefs, tradition, and habit.

Group Processes of Identity Formation §

• Group boundaries are determined by issues related to relative power and status, access to resources as well as value differences.
• Group differences are associated with socio-economic, class distinctions, occupational groupings, gender, or cultural belongings.
• The enduring nature of identities can be explained by the convergence of language, ethnicity, religion, and other group atiributes in the intensification of we-ness feeling.
• Identity strengthens cohesiveness with a shared sense of attraction, belongingness, and loyalty to the group.
  • faces the same challenges, have the same loyalties
  • have the same interest and goals
• The psychological features of identity and solidarity
  • are derived from past sufferings
  • present or future anxiety about group well-being and survival
  • a shared meaning of the Social world.
• A high degree of in-group identification is coupled with an intense level of outside threat which brings forth a basic impulse for self-preservation.
  • think of external-groups are threats to be dealt with through hostilities

Connection Btw Individual & Group Identity §

• In politically divided societies, the self-conception of individual identity is intertwined with and often imposed by group boundaries in relation to an increased motivation, strengths of attractions toward the group, and the development of cohesive group norms.
  • identity groups dividing themselves up, make differences among them larger
• Intra-group differences are de-emphasized to strengthen internal solidarity.
  • making differences in the group smaller for unity
• Group allegiances represent our social connections by defining to ourselves and to others, who we are.

Formation of Group Boundaries §

• The construction of similarity of the members of any collectivity is geared toward making distinctions from other groups.
• During an atrocious war or genocide, the notion of the other is related to the brutal line between insiders and outsiders in the collective mind.
• In a psychological sense, people’s realization of their shared fate increases loyalty to the group.
  • The identification of common attributes reinforces the development of collective perceptions of a shared fate with the attribution of opposing features to out-groups.

Social exclusion and inclusion §

• The distinct manifestations of social exclusion and inclusion shape and are shaped by

  • group boundaries (concerning geographical, religious, or ethnic differences, creating transnational) dividing lines

  • after the departure of colonial powers and collapse of multi-ethnic federal states.

  💡 Ex: Austrian-Hungarian Empire and Ottoman Turkey in the 18th and 19th centuries.

• The principled exclusion of the enemy “other” can be applied to specific settings

  💡 Ex: (anyone being suspected of being tied to al-Qaeda and the Taliban) by political ideology (such as doctrines of war on terrorism) supported by legislative and institutional mechanisms

• The mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion are related to partitioning people into different social categories and its institutional legitimation.

  💡 Ex: identity categories in many Latin American societies have evolved out of formation of a group status in a historical process of creating social hierarchies (white, mestizos, natives, and blacks).

Social Categorization §

• The categorization is likely to rely upon highly visible characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, or race.
  • Most significantly, social identifications within a group are based on common attitudes and values which aggregate individual differences.
• Distinctive characteristics of groups can be internalized as self-conception, and can be adopted fot socialization.
  • Social categorization is likely to set boundaries for the interpretation of individuals’ actions and beliefs.
  • the association of meaning & identity to individual’s actions and beliefs
• The membership of social categories is associated with positive or negative value connotations.
  • Positive in-group identities can be advanced by favorable comparisons with out-groups.
  • uniqueness, similarity, expected bahavior to ensure group’s interest & value are pursued
• In evaluating one’s own group, individuals refer to the attitudes or behavior of another group that functions as the holder of standards for social prestige.
• Morale can be enhanced by unquestioned loyalty to a group and call for sacrifice.
  • But: Labelling the enemy without emphathetic consideration can negatively reinforce exaggerated threat ****and blind enemy images in self-fulfilling prophecies.
• Identity politics revolve around who controls the process to define communal boundaries.
  • Political entities mobilize resources and people behind institutionalized symbols.
  • a sense of unity behind one cause and symbol similar to nationalism

Cognitive Representation of Identity §

• Individuals may construct differing images about their groups and others through a cognitive process.
  • The increased perceptions of distance in interests, roles, and other easily identifiable properties between in-groups and out-groups lead to an emphasis on in-group similarity.
• demonized views about an adversary
  • signal hardened identity positions
  • refusal to take any kind of conciliatory move toward amicable solutions to a conflict. (non-negotiable position)
• Even if the differences are not objectively meaningful
  • the perceptual act of group categorization in a competitive context can produce discrimination along with the development of stereotypes and bias.
  • self-fulfilling prophecy turning to violence
• Increased hostilities are supported by the rigid group boundaries in conjunction with negative patterns of communication confirming biased perception.
• In fact, stereotypes foster bias-confirming communication in support of self-fulfilling prophecies (Gudykunst and Mody, 1989).
• When differences are perceived as threatening to the identity or well-being of the group, a competitive context is likely to further widen psychological distance and biases against opposing group members.

The Impact of Social Identification on Inter-group Action §

• Ethnocentrism is based on the glorification of in-group properties, and derogation of out-group aspirations and values.
  • Similar to Fascism thinking one self’s identity as superior
  • In-group love is reciprocally connected to out-group rejection and hate.
• This may be fueled by competitive interactions based on
  • incompatible interests
  • perceived threat to one’s goals augments in-group solidarity and heightens out-group hostility
  • supported by a history of antagonism
• In-group glorification helps sustain authoritarian submission as well as ethnocentrism, as is illustrated by Nazi-Germany under Hitler.
• The obedience to authority is emphasized in highly cohesive groups often in combination with autocratic leadership which defines and enforces individual conformity with collective norms.
  • to sustain one’s power & regime
  • Negative Impact: to threaten and deter the out-groups

Bridging in-group and out-group differences §

• The exaggeration of between-group differences can be minimized
  • by stressing the uniqueness of individual out-group members
  • by equating them as part of a larger human community.
• In addition, the inclusiveness of group boundaries can be expanded by the transfer of in-group favoritism to out-groups.
• Positive inter-group relations are facilitated by the improvement in attitudes and behavior toward out-group members.
  • cultural exchange, sharing of ideas
• Extended interaction between group members emerges from functional cooperation which will eventually lead to the development of common goals. Functionalism
• Increased contact can develop benevolent effects only if groups have equal status to avoid one party’s domination.
• New information gained through personalized interaction helps replace existing categories which form the basis of classifying each other.
• In the long run, the inter-group contact is expected to produce a change in the attitude toward a group beyond immediate individual encounters.
• As groups cooperatively work to develop a common goal, inter-group bias can decrease along with an increased contact supported by institutional or social forces.
• The recognition of inter-group similarities and common interests helps members of both groups acknowledge the strengths of the other group as well as their own for improved inter-group relations.
• Out-group bias and discrimination can be minimized by cross-cutting social categories among multi-group membership.
• The patterns of conflict regulation can be socially institutionalized by the development of cross-cutting ties which promote cooperation among multiple functions and roles of various groups.
• The coexistence of diverse cultures has been effective if promoting tribal ties. Furthermore, joint economic and social activities among the youth and women have been promoted in developing cross-cutting ties in the peace-making process.
• In general, the recognition of the necessity for cooperation and common bonds can emerge from the development of superordinate goals.

De-categorization §

• Qualitative change in the core sense of self may come from de-categorization and re-categorization.
• Through de-categorization, group boundaries can be redefined in the manner that opposing group members are encouraged to recognize similarities and differences on an individual basis.
• De-categorization refers to a process of reducing the salience of ingroup-outgroup distinctions. An important consequence is that negative behaviors
• Associated with ingroup—outgroup distinctions, such as prejudice, ssereatyping. and intergroup discrimination, are also diminished.
• The personalization of out-group members helps de- activate the undesirable images of an out-group in reducing group hostilities.

Re-categorization §

• Re-categorization redefines group categorization at a higher level of inclusiveness without diminishing or abolishing existing social categories.
• Re-categorization can be achieved by identification with a single superordinate identity with reduced salience of sub- group identities, or by the development of a dual identity in which both superordinate and sub-group identities are granted legitimate.
• Re-categorization can be achieved by a shift in the main basis of group differentiation to a new superordinate ategory which embraces all different racial groups.
• In curbing ethno-nationalism in multinational states, supranational identity can be promoted in conjunction with power sharing and other political or social arrangements which grant a unique role to minority groups.

💡 Ex: People in Quebec have the dual identities of being a Canadian and French-speaking national group.

From De-categorization to re-categorization §

• The commitment to a new superordinate national identity decreases the salience of disparate group boundaries so that they can become less obvious to insiders and outsiders.
• In post-conflict reconciliation, the process of apology and forgiveness is part of the rituals to rédiscover each other’s humanities as a shared. dentity base.
  • apologies given to victims and enemies to rebuild trust
  • for future collaboration
• The emphasis on shared humanity permits individuals to be seen as either victims (whose dignity should be restored) or perpetrators (who are responsible for their own acts).

Renegotiation of Identities §

Management of Identity Differences: Institutional Arrangement §