Handbook of ethnic conflict international perspectives : an international academy for intercultural research book

Although group conflict is hardly new, the last decade has seen a proliferation of conflicts engaging intrastate ethnic groups. It is estimated that two-thirds of violent conflicts being fought each year in every part of the globe including North America are ethnic conflicts. Unlike traditional warfare, civilians comprise more than 80 percent of the casualties, and the economic and psychological impact on survivors is often so devastating that some experts believe that ethnic conflict is the most destabilizing force in the post-Cold War world. Although these conflicts also have political, economic, and other causes, the purpose of this volume is to develop a psychological understanding of ethnic warfare. More specifically, Handbook of Ethnopolitical Conflict explores the function of ethnic, religious, and national identities in intergroup conflict. In addition, it features recommendations for policy makers with the intention to reduce or ameliorate the occurrences and consequences of these conflicts worldwide. In 1954 Leon Festinger, a brilliant young experimental social psychologist in the process of outlining a new theory of human behavior - the theory of cognitive dissonance - and his colleagues infiltrated a cult who believed the end of the world was only months away. How would these people feel when their prophecy remained unfulfilled? Would they admit the error of their prediction, or would they readjust their reality to make sense of the new circumstances? "We've all experienced the futility of trying to change a strong conviction, especially if the convinced person has some investment in his belief. We're familiar with the variety of ingenious defenses with which people protect their convictions, managing to keep them unscathed thru the most devastating attacks. But human resourcefulness goes beyond simply protecting a belief. Suppose an individual believes something with a whole heart; suppose further a commitment to this belief, suppose irrevocable actions have been taken because of it; finally, suppose evidence, unequivocal and undeniable evidence, that the belief is wrong: what will happen? The individual will frequently emerge, not only unshaken, but even more convinced of the truth of such beliefs than ever before. Indeed, s/he may even show a new fervor about convincing and converting others to this view. How and why does such a response to contradictory evidence come about? This is the question on which this book focuses. We hope that, by the end of the volume, we will have provided an adequate answer to the question, an answer documented by data." When Prophecy Fails is a classic text in social psychology authored by L. Festinger, H. Riecken and S. Schachter. It chronicles the experience of a UFO cult that believed the end of the world was at hand. In effect, it's a sociopsychological study of a modern group that predicted the destruction of the world & the adjustments made when the prediction failed to materialize. "The authors have done something as laudable as it is unusual for social psychologists. They espied a fleeting social movement important to a line of research they were interested in and took after it. They recruited a team of observers, joined the movement & watched it from within under great difficulties until its crisis came and went. Their report is of interest as much for the method as for the substance."--Everett C. Hughes, The American Journal of Sociology. Ethnic conflicts are world-wide phenomena producing discrimination, violence, and at times, unspeakable atrocities. Two thirds of international conflicts today are ethnopolitical conflicts. Some are long-entrenched disputes dating back centuries. Others are the by-products of recent trends in immigration or politics. ¡ The Handbook of Ethnic Conflict examines the social, psychological, historical and political underpinnings of these conflicts--particularly the ethnic, cultural, religious, and national identities that feed ingroup/outgroup antagonistic perceptions and fuel cycles of aggression. It covers leading theories and models of interethnic conflict and provides in-depth analyses of twenty conflicts as diverse as those in Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Israel, and New Zealand.¡ It examines phenomena that have not received the attention they deserve, such as the obstacles presented by differing accounts of the origins and dynamics of given conflict. In each case, and in the book's concluding chapter, contributors suggest creative responses to ethnic friction utilizing innovative intercultural approaches, conflict management approaches, and peace-building strategies. ¡ Major features: ¡ ·¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ Worldwide coverage: includes conflicts in Southeast Asia, China, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, Western Europe, and the Balkans. ·¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ Extensive analyses of the dynamics of interethnic hostility as well as of the relevant current and historical social, psychological, political and economic conditions. ·¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ Contributors from a variety of cultures and disciplines. ·¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ Comparisons across diverse conflicts in the concluding chapter. ·¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ Suggestions for diminishing prejudice and discrimination, and improving inter-ethnic relations in multi-ethnic states ·¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ Policy recommendations for reducing ethnic conflict. ¡ Its unique presentation and wide range of information make the Handbook of Ethnic Conflict an effective reference for professionals, researchers, and educators working to understand, minimize, and eliminate interethnic conflict. Valuable for social psychologists, cross-cultural psychologists, political scientists, sociologists, communications scholars, and policymakers, ultimately, the Handbook is an important source for all persons who wish to contribute to a more peaceful world. ¡