Competing Explanations of Cultural Identity, Conflict Initiation, Duration and Resolution
Phase of the
Peace-Conflict
Cycle
|
Explanations from Competing Perspectives |
Rational-Instrumentalism |
Primordialism-
(Grievance) |
Social Constructivism-
(Framing) |
Conflict
Motivated by . . . |
Calculation: success is
possible and benefits
outweigh costs |
Violation of "Basic Human
Needs" for security,
recognition and identity |
Choices based on culture and
context |
Conflict
Caused by . . . |
Difficulty measuring
power-uncertainty of consequences |
Failure of institutions
of social control |
Failure of the hegemony of the
dominant frame--world-view |
Conflict
Prevented by . . . |
Deterrence-
raised cost of violence |
Institutions to provide
human services and
express identity |
Civil society plus institutions
of shared cultural identity |
Conflict
Sustained by . . . |
Competing interests-
continuous flow of
benefits from war—natural resources or external allies |
Resources mobilized
through competing
identities—allies through ethnicity or ideology |
Resources and social position of opposition intelligentsia |
Conflict
Resolved By . . . |
Finding a 50% solution
during a hurting stalemate |
Third-party supply of
security and forced
mutual recognition |
Change toward shared cultural
identity-parallel formal negotiation
and informal sustained dialogue |
Peace –
Sustained by . . . |
Security guarantees—
strong-man leader, foreign support and economic resuscitation |
Secession, or autonomy,
or federalism, or
affirmative action |
Restoration of cultural autonomy—reconstruction of roles, relations
and activities of society |
Political
Stabilization |
Authoritarianism |
Services, institutions
and control |
Cultural producers gain political
and economic power |