Ethnic identity and conflict transformation

Abstract

Scholars have recently been mediating hostile situations among cultural groups while diplomats have looked on in amusement. This constitutes a switching of roles that has been rare in the past. Indeed, scholars avoided involvement in practices reserved for diplomats unless they had reliable information that the diplomats were committing errors. In today's world, however, theorists and practitioners cooperate frequently, for lines of international hostility more and more often seem to involve differences in ethnic identity rather than differences in national interest. Similarly, the rise in subnational conflict is interpreted along the same lines. The social transformation to watch these days is the dissolution of the old power politics model of conflict analysis and its replacement with the interactive problem‐solving approach that calls for a needs assessment before negotiation begins.