Social Conflicts and Collective Identities

Patrick G. Coy, Lynne M. Woehrle

Rowman & Littlefield, 2000 - Political Science - 218 pages

Despite the ubiquity of conflict, significant gaps remain in our knowledge of what influences its escalation and resolution. How collective identity formation impacts social conflicts is taken up in these compelling case studies, ranging from church and community disputes, ethnic conflicts, environmental disputes, to international trade disputes and wars. Important themes include the dynamics of enemy-imaging, the constructs of race and gender, in-groups and out-groups, and the double-edged potential of collective identity formation to both escalate and de-escalate conflicts. Throughout, social conflicts are presented as potent forces for cultural and political change. The contributors highlight methods for resolving intractable identity-based conflicts, including challenging assumptions about the OOther, O creating inclusive identities, and using various negotiation and mediation venues as catalysts for constructive identity shifts. With its ground-breaking scholarship, Social Conflicts and Collective Identities is sure to become a basic building block for the burgeoning conflict resolution field and for improved understanding of identity dynamics in human conflict

Contents

• Introduction Collective Identities and the Development of Conflict Analysis: 1
• Collective Identity: 3
• Resource Issues in IdentityBased Conflicts: 5
• Group Differentiation and EnemyImaging: 6
• Collective Identity in Conflict Escalation: 8
• Collective Identity in Conflict Resolution: 9
• Overview of Individual Chapters: 10
• Conclusion: 14
• Constructing the Other and Creating Conflicts: 17
• Racial Discourse and Enemy Construction Justifying the Internment Solution to the Japanese Problem during World War II: 19
• Constructing Enemies: 20
• The Japanese Internment Case: 21
• Data Sources: 22
• Racial Discourse: 23
• Racial Claims: 27
• Developing Solutions to the Enemy Alien Problem: 33
• Discussion: 34
• Notes: 36
• Emotional Actor Foreign Policy Decision Making in the 1982 FalklandsMalvinas War: 41
• Underlying Affective Factors in Foreign Policy DecisionMaking: 42
• The Inadequacy of Realism: 44
• Argentinas Growing Isolation on the International Scene: 46
• In Need of a Good War: 56
• Conclusion: 61
• Notes: 63
• David versus Goliath The Big Power of Small States: 67
• The Cases: 68
• The Big Power of Small States: 73
• Playing Ones Adversary against Itself: 80
• The Interdependent World System: 82
• International Organizations and Alliances: 84
• Other Factors: 85
• Conclusion: 86
• Notes: 88
• Conflict and Children Integrated Education in the Segregated Society of Northern Ireland: 91
• The Role of Education: 92
• Methodology: 96
• Results: 97
• Discussion: 105
• Conclusion: 107
• Notes: 108
• Constructing Identities and Resolving Conflicts: 113
• Who Do They Say We Are? Framing Social Identity and Gender in Church Conflict: 115
• Methodology: 117
• Social Identity and the Construction of Social Conflict: 118
• The Construction of Social Identity in Conflict: 124
• Implications for Theory Building: 126
• Conclusion: 128
• Notes: 129
• Fighting among Friends The Quaker Separation of 1827: 133
• Social Context: 134
• Threat to Quaker Identity: 135
• Stages of the Conflict: 138
• Conflict Resolution: 140
• Implications: 143
• Notes: 146
• Identity Politics and Environmental Conflict Dynamics A Reexamination of the Negotiated Rulemaking Process: 149
• Social Identity: 154
• The Research Setting: 155
• Engaging in Conflict Strengthens Identity: 159
• The Pubic Image of Working with the Enemy: 161
• The Invisible People and the Power of Identity: 162
• Conclusion: 164
• Notes: 165
• Rediscovering Memorial Day Politics Patriotism and Gender: 169
• Collecting the Story: 170
• Not Just a Simple Parade: 171
• Building Community Memory: 174
• Gender Dimensions of the Conflict: 176
• At War and Peace: 177
• Structural Conflict: 178
• Symbolic Conflict: 180
• The Community the Coalitions the People: 183
• Notes: 186
• Swimming against the Tide Peace Movement Recruitment in an Abeyance Environment: 189
• Background: 190
• The Problems of Recruiting in an Abeyance Climate: 191
• The Role of Projects: 193
• Do Projects Work?: 196
• Conclusion: 199
• Notes: 201
• Index: 205
• About the Contributors: 215

About the author

Patrick G. Coy is assistant professor at Kent State University's Center for Applied Conflict Management. Lynne M. Woehrle is assistant professor of sociology at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennslyvania.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Social Conflicts and Collective Identities
• Editors: Patrick G. Coy, Lynne M. Woehrle
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000
• ISBN: 0742500519, 9780742500518
• Length: 218 pages
• Subjects: Political Science / International Relations / General; Social Science / Sociology / General