Dealing with the Dilemmas Posed by Power Asymmetry in Intergroup Conflict

Abstract

Some methods of unofficial intervention in protracted intercommunal conflict fail to consider the impact of power asymmetry on the dynamics of conflict and the predictably divergent goals that lower- and higher-power groups seek in unofficial meetings. As a result, third parties face the dilemma of trying to satisfy seemingly irreconcilable goals of the conflicting parties. This article examines asymmetry of goals and the further dilemmas it creates in choosing the level of discourse in unofficial meetings, and in recruiting participants. The authors propose a more proactive research focus on the dynamics of power asymmetry and advance a three-phase strategy for practitioners to deal with the dilemmas of intervening in asymmetrical conflict.