Group Conflict Research Articles

Participatory conflict as an intrinsic dimension of participatory communication: An ethnographic study of women self-help groups from Uttarakhand, India

ABSTRACT This paper establishes participatory conflict invoked by intersectional standpoints as a critique of the conventional celebratory understanding of participatory communication for social change. The paper is based on an immersive ethnographic study in the state of Uttarakhand, India with women participants in three self-help groups. Our findings acknowledge the presence of inevitable participatory conflict in women groups’ participation due to intersectional standpoints where gender intersects with caste, economic position, and paid work exposure leading to unequal access to communication resources among members. Our study offers a nuanced framework for participatory communication for social change that can contribute to both theory and development communication practice by acknowledging participatory conflict as an integral dimension of collective and individual empowerment process.

Using the sociopolitical motive × intergroup threat model of intergroup relations to understand opposition to policies that promote social equality

AbstractIn the last several decades, social psychologists have identified several social and political motives that undergird conflict between groups (e.g., racial group conflict), and the conditions under which individuals holding these motives are most likely to oppose policies that promote greater equality between groups. In the current article, we introduce a framework that integrates these insights—the sociopolitical motive × intergroup threat model of intergroup relations—and leverage the model to help advocates for social equality identify likely sources of opposition to or support for their initiatives. By understanding the psychological motives that lead individuals to oppose or support policies that promote social equality, policymakers may be better positioned to craft and communicate policies in a manner that benefits and appeals to as many constituents as possible.

Group conflict and group harmony affect future female companion travel intentions: The mediating effect of female companion travel experience

When women travel together, the social identity of the members creates group harmony, but disagreements over travel arrangements create intragroup conflict. This study draws on the self-categorization theory to examine the impact of group conflict and group harmony on female companion travel experiences and future female companion travel intentions. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. Focus group meetings were performed to develop the scale to measure dictatorship as a source of creating group conflict during female companion travel. The results of the questionnaire survey indicated that group conflict and group harmony have an impact on female companion travel experiences, but only group conflict directly influences future female companion travel intentions, group harmony does not. Female companion travel experience mediates the effect of group conflict and group harmony on future female companion travel intentions. Recommendations for destinations and the tourism industry to improve female companion travel experiences are provided.

Dynamic clustering-based consensus model for large-scale group decision-making considering overlapping communities

Consensus-reaching strategy is crucial in large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) as it serves as an effective approach to reducing group conflicts. Meanwhile, the common social network relationships in large groups can affect information exchange, thereby influencing the consensus-reaching process (CRP) and decision results. Therefore, how to leverage social network information in LSGDM to obtain an agreed solution has received widespread attention. However, most existing research assumes relative independence between communities in the dimension reduction process of LSGDM and neglects the possibility of different overlaps between them. Moreover, the impact of overlapping communities on CRP has not been adequately explored. Besides, the dynamic variations in clusters and their weights caused by evaluation updates need to be further studied. To address these issues, this paper proposes a dynamic clustering-based consensus-reaching method for LSGDM considering the impact of overlapping communities. First, the LINE-based label propagation algorithm is designed to cluster decision makers (DMs) and detect overlapping communities with social network information. An overlapping community-driven feedback mechanism is then developed to enhance group consensus by utilizing the bridging role of overlapping DMs. During CRP, clusters and their weights are dynamically updated with trust evolution due to the evaluation iteration. Finally, a case study using the Film Trust dataset is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Simulation experiments and comparative analysis demonstrate the capability of our method in modeling practical scenarios and addressing LSGDM problems under social network contexts.

Inter-Group Relations and Conflicts in Jos Metropolis: A Study of Hausa Migrants and Host Community, 1915-2022

The study of inter-group relations in Nigeria is a heavily tasked subject because of the impact it has had in the nation in the area of group conflicts, bitterness, rivalries and hatred. It is rather unfortunate that the various Nigerian groups, which in the past lived in harmonious and cooperative relations, now live in animosity. This paper is an attempt to examine the nature and significance of Inter-group Relations in Jos Metropolis with focus on Hausa Migrants and the Host Community between 1915 and 2022. Structurally, the paper is divided into several parts, the first of which is the introduction, sections two and three examine the settlement of Hausa community in Jos metropolis and brief explanation on the introduction of Islam to Jos and economic contributions of Hausa migrants to the growth of Jos metropolis. Part four examines the causes and course of conflicts between the Hausa migrants and their Jos hosts. Section four shed some light on the socio-economic effects of Jos conflicts on migrant groups and the host community, while the last section is the conclusion. The paper depends largely on primary and secondary sources of history. The field work conducted shows that inter-group relations between the Hausa and the host community have led to the loss of lives and properties destroyed. The paper in the final analysis put forward certain recommendations on how to maintain peace for sustainable development in the town.

Group Conflict in Nigeria: A Qualitative Exploration of Survivors’ Experiences

Background: This qualitative study explored the experiences of survivors of group conflicts in Nigeria. The persistent conflicts in Nigeria not only create a sense of social distance but also hamper political and socioeconomic development of the country. This current study, therefore, serves as a guide to politicians and policy makers on how to effectively manage ethno-religious conflicts and practise peace building more safely. Method: Data were gathered by means of semi-structured interviews conducted on fifteen individuals and analysed using thematic analysis. Participants were the survivors of numerous conflicts perpetrated by the Boko Haram Islamists and the Niger Delta Avengers in the northern and southern parts of Nigeria respectively. Findings and Conclusion: Two major themes emerged from the interviews, which capture the experiences of the participants who were the survivors of the numerous conflicts. Among these themes were also their suggestions on how to stop the conflicts and prevent any future conflicts. These themes include triggers of the conflict and coping with conflicts. Under these main themes were also subthemes where the numerous experiences were presented descriptively. These findings were placed alongside previous studies in this area and discussed with the existing theories in this field. Recommendations were made on how to prevent any future conflicts in Nigeria.

A Novel Brillouin and Langevin Functions Dynamic Model for Two Conflicting Social Groups: Study of R&D Processes

We consider a two-group social conflict under the corporates’ research and development (R&D) business processes. Conflict participants are divided into two groups depending on their attitude to new ideas, technologies, and behavioral style for R&D creative problems—innovators and adapters. We reveal the contradiction that arises between the need to include both types of employees in one project team and their objectively antagonistic positions regarding the methods and approaches to R&D processes. The proposed research methodology is based on a modern post-non-classical paradigm formed on the principles of coherence, interdisciplinarity, openness, and nonlinearity, as well as a sociophysical approach to the social conflicts modeling. We use the general theories of magnetism, paramagnetism, and functions of P. Langevin and L. Brillouin to describe the dynamics of group participants’ preferences regarding the style of conflict behavior. The analogy of paramagnetism, consisting in the orienting effect of the magnetic field, is used to describe social groups interactions that have not only their own interests, but are also influenced by the opinions of opposite social groups. A two-dimensional, four-parameter map represents the dynamics of group conflict. Modeling results show that regardless of the initial states and with certain parameters of intra-group and intergroup interactions, the trajectories eventually converge to an attractor (limit cycle) in a two-dimensional space. No non-periodic or chaotic modes are identified in the two-group conflict, which determines the controllability of the described conflict. The results of the simulation experiments are used as decision support and contradictions resolution aimed at forming the required modes of the corporates’ research and development business processes and ensuring the group participants’ cohesion and depolarization. The results of testing the model at an industrial enterprise are presented.

Group Conflict, Racial Inequality, and Stratification

Group Conflict, Racial Inequality, and Stratification

The adaptive consensus reaching process with the ER-PSO interaction mechanism and its application in public charging stations evaluation

BackgroundPublic charging stations (PCSs) have become integral public infrastructure in China, responding to the considerable and rapidly growing demand. Evaluating the service quality of PCSs by a diverse user base has become essential for the effective management of PCSs. ObjectivesIn the group evaluation of PCSs' service quality, which encompasses broad public interests, consensus reaching process (CRP) is commonly utilized to manage group conflicts and achieve evaluation consensus. The intricate interactions among decision makers (DMs) significantly influence the evolution and resilience of collective viewpoints. Against this backdrop, this research aims to develop an adaptive CRP to enhance the discriminatory power of group consensus and improve consensus robustness in the presence of non-cooperative behavior. MethodologyWith the above objectives, this study proposes an adaptive CRP supported by a novel interaction mechanism, consisting of two stages: (1) In the interaction network generation stage, based on the Erdős-Rényi (ER) random network model, innovative interaction signals are generated to guide the generation of an ER-based interaction network, enhancing the dissemination of dominant viewpoints, and constraining the influence of minority opinions. (2) In the decision opinion interaction stage, based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, utilizing novel dual individual fitness functions, the PSO algorithm is employed to formulate the expected updated belief, driving the internal evolution and convergence of opinions. The proposed adaptive CRP is implemented in the group evaluation of PCSs' service quality in Nanjing. FindingsComparative analysis reveals that the proposed CRP offers significant advantages in consensus efficiency, the discriminatory power of group consensus, and consensus robustness in the presence of non-cooperative behavior compared to existing CRPs. NoveltyDiffering from previous CRP research primarily focuses on minimizing adjustment scales, this study emphasizes the adaptive evolution and convergence of opinions, providing a more suitable description of group opinion dynamics. Additionally, from a methodological perspective, this research utilizes the ER network model and the PSO algorithm to support the adaptive CRP at both structural and preference levels, enhancing consensus discriminatory power and robustness.

Reflections of an Accidental Scholar and the Founding of INGRoup

This essay chronicles the pivotal events shaping Laurie Weingart’s esteemed academic career. It begins with an influential letter from Joe McGrath, affirming her research approach and trajectory, bolstering her confidence during a critical career juncture. Weingart traces her academic journey, marked by meaningful collaborations and mentorships, and her significant contributions to the study of group dynamics, negotiation tactics, and conflict. The founding and development of INGRoup, a network fostering interdisciplinary group research, is highlighted as a seminal collective achievement, underscoring her commitment to community-building in academia. Concluding with insights gleaned from mentoring, research, and leadership roles, Weingart advocates for embracing unplanned opportunities, nurturing collaborative relationships, and balancing passion with practicality to navigate a successful academic career. The essay serves as an inspirational guide for emerging scholars, emphasizing resilience, openness to change, and the importance of service to the broader academic community.

Trust and Conflict in Online Groups with Faultlines: Results of an Intervention to Improve Emotion Regulation

ABSTRACT The formation of confronted subgroups in a group can be harmful for collaboration. Thus, reducing the salience of in-subgroup and out-subgroup distinctions is crucial for reducing group conflict. The present study examines whether an online intervention in emotion regulation techniques could be useful for reducing conflict and, subsequently, improving trust in online groups split into subgroups. The sample consisted of 208 undergraduate students (grouped into 52 four-person groups) who participated in a randomized pre-post design with a control group. Results showed that the intervention increased group trust by reducing both task conflict and process conflict.

Expectations and experiences of group conflict during military training exercises and their impact on deployment self-efficacy: the role of positive psychological capital

PurposeThis study aims to explore the intrapersonal underpinnings of conflict transformation and expression during military deployment exercises.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data just before the onset and right after the ending of a military deployment training attended by several military units that were engaged in various operational exercises. The authors evaluated positive psychological capital (PsyCap) as well as expectations of task and relationship conflict before the deployment (N = 116 participants) and the experience of task and relationship conflict as well as deployment self-efficacy evaluated just after the deployment (N = 84).FindingsPsyCap buffers conflict transformation and expression during military deployment. Relationship conflict reduces deployment self-efficacy evaluated after the deployment.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings have implications for the development of personal strengths such as PsyCap and deployment self-efficacy, as well as for conflict management in military settings.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on micro foundations of conflict emergence and explores the intrapersonal factors that impact conflict expression and transformation during military exercises.

A game theoretic conflict analysis model with linguistic assessments and two levels of game play

In a conflict scenario, the domestic and international stake holders vye to safeguard their specific vested interests and objectives, like in the Syrian and Afghan conflicts. Knowledge about the position of domestic players can help both domestic and international players determine the root causes of conflict and work in groups to resolve the divergent issues. Due to complex nature of conflicts, it is pertinent to study conflict at domestic and international levels separately. For this purpose, we design a two-level conflict analysis model based on game theory and linguistic assessments of players. The first level deals with local players by playing a game between each of them in view of local issues and taking into account the local grouping. At the second level, game is played between local groups and international players regarding multiple issues. In this way, all the parties calculate the gains or losses of comparable actions of each other. Thus, the proposed model provides a comprehensive study of conflict. This paper studies Syrian conflict to validate the conflict analysis algorithm and explain the computations and results.

Профилактика межнациональных конфликтов в современном воинском коллективе

The content of interethnic conflicts and the process of their prevention is revealed. The interethnic conflict in the social groups of military personnel is revealed as a type of social conflict that determines the growth of contradictions of values and interests, mutual misunderstanding of cultural priorities, hostility, inconsistency of service and labor behavior, conditions, as well as actions. It is proved that interethnic conflicts in the military team are the result of the deterioration of the level of interethnic culture of communication of military personnel. At the same time, the prevention of interethnic conflicts is the result of the targeted construction of the culture of interethnic communication of military actors. The latter can manifest itself both at the superficial level (characterized by the degree of understanding and assimilation in the consciousness of the peculiarities of various ethnic groups: the presence of necessary ideas, ethnic values, rules, as well as the norms of interethnic communication of military personnel), and at the practical service-labor level (the level of effectiveness of the practices of service implementation of interethnic communication). It is proved that the prevention of interethnic conflicts is the result of the project actions aimed at the formation of the effective culture of interethnic communication, as a result of which the conditions preventing the occurrence of ethnic conflicts among military personnel are created. The prevention of ethnic conflicts through political design determines the process of removing the conditions for the growth of tension, eliminating objective socio-cultural contradictions in the system of interethnic relations. It defines systemic transformations aimed at a temporary homeostatic conflict-free state of the modern military collective.

Norms concerning the recognition of victimhood in postconflict societies: An analysis of “whatabouteries” in online sectarian arguments

AbstractAcknowledging the victims on both sides of a conflict is crucial to peacebuilding and reconciliation. However, recognizing the victims of one community can challenge an opposing group's conflict narrative, particularly when their own group is seen as the primary victim. Suggestions of inclusive victimhood and blame can also threaten the sense of distinctiveness of each group's experience, leading to resistance. This article examines the conflict that arose when historical victimhood was discussed in the online comments sections of U.K. newspapers in response to the 2021 Coroner's Inquest into the Ballymurphy massacre. We focus on one common turn in sectarian argument in Northern Ireland: “Whatabouteries,” and the conflict that arises when whatabouteries appear in discussions. We describe the variety of forms whatabouteries—and responses to them—can take and analyze two extended conflict sequences in which they occur. Responses to such posts often invoke an implicit norm in these discussions: That when the victims of one group are publicly recognized in truth‐finding mechanisms, raising the issue of the opposing group's victims is illegitimate and can be treated as an act of provocation. This illustrates the need for sensitivity and an understanding of local, context‐specific norms when discussing victimhood and violence.

On the Defensive: Identity, Language, and Partisan Reactions to Political Scandal.

We investigated how individuals judge politicians embroiled in scandal. Drawing on social identity and realistic group conflict theory, we predicted that beyond an overall ingroup bias, partisans would be particularly forgiving of in-party politicians who denied or justified their misconduct rather than apologize for it. By insisting that they did nothing wrong, these politicians defend the public image of their party and signal their commitment to partisan goals. We find qualified support for this prediction across three experiments. Participants did not respond negatively to in-party politicians who apologized but did react more positively to those who denied or justified wrongdoing (relative to silence). These accounts worked only for in-party politicians and were more effective for those whose misconduct furthered their party's agenda or whose seat was high-status or pivotal for party goals. In intergroup contexts like politics, people may accept explanations for misconduct that they would otherwise find offensive.

Collaborative Methods of Resolving Road Graphic Conflicts Based on Cartographic Rules and Generalization Operations

The resolution of road graphic conflicts is a key aspect of map generalization, which involves both scale reduction and the symbolization of map features. This study proposes collaborative methods of road graphic conflict resolution considering different road characteristics. These methods consider both geometric and semantic characteristics, and they incorporate the bend characteristics of roads, the road symbol size, and road semantics. Constrained Delaunay triangulation skeleton lines are used to categorize road graphic conflicts, which are made up of four independent conflict types and four group conflict types. Based on their characteristics, three collaborative methods are designed to deal with the different types of road graphic conflicts: collaboration between deletion and the snake displacement model, collaboration between the snake displacement model and collinearity, and collaboration among simplification, smoothing, and the beam displacement model. Two types of independent conflicts can be processed using only one simple operation. This study summarizes the cartographic rules for resolving road graphic conflicts, and these are used along with geometric features to drive the collaborative methods or one simple operation presented here. The experimental results indicate that the method proposed in this study can effectively resolve road graphic conflicts.

The Quest for Peace: Examining the Impact of Ethnic Federalism on Conflict Management in Ethiopia

The main objective of the study is to critically examine the impact of conflict management on conflict management in Ethiopia. The diverse policies that Ethiopia's previous administrations implemented have left both positive and negative legacies. In an attempt to promote national peace by addressing ethnic diversity and reducing conflict, the current regime has experimented with ethnic Federalism in a way never seen before since 1995. However, in Ethiopia, ethnic Federalism has not been able to resolve interethnic disputes. Ethnic group conflicts are become extremely widespread. People have died as a result of these wars, and other people have also been displaced and property destroyed. In addition, ethnic minorities are being driven out of different regions as a result of ethnic strife. Despite this, differing opinions persist regarding the purpose of Ethiopia's ethnic Federalism. Ethnic Federalism is seen favorably by some and is seen as a valuable instrument for resolving interethnic conflicts. However, several elites argue against ethnic Federalism as a policy and practice because they fear violence and the dissolution of the country. The study uses a qualitative content analysis design to address the paper's objective. Sociological and instrumentalist theories are also employed to address the issue. Consequently, this study has clarified how ethnic Federalism affects conflict resolution. The study implies that even if ethnic Federalism was implemented more than thirty years ago, it has not been able to resolve ethnic tensions throughout the nation.

Decision-Making Conflict Measurement of Old Neighborhoods Renovation Based on Mixed Integer Programming DEA-Discriminant Analysis (MIP DEA–DA) Models

Renovating old neighborhoods for the benefit of people has become increasingly important in urban renewal. Nevertheless, old neighborhood renovations are currently considered a group decision-making issue under public participation, involving diverse decision-making subjects. Conflicts within a group are a common problem during group decision-making. In this paper, conflict is examined in the decision-making process for renovating old neighborhoods and novel ideas are provided for quantifying conflict. Public participation in old neighborhood renovations is assessed using conflict degree calculations in group decision-making. Based on the preferences of decision-making experts, a MIP DEA–DA (Mixed Integer Programming Data Envelopment Analysis–Discriminant Analysis) based partial binary tree cyclic clustering model is constructed for clustering experts, and an aggregated group conflict indicator and an aggregated conflict vector are computed, allowing for the quantification of conflict during the renovation process of the old neighborhood based on actual situations. Results indicate that there is primarily a conflict between the benefits of decision-making subject interests and the professionalism of decision-making renovations. This paper contributes to improving public participation, promoting the application of group decision-making theory in old neighborhood renovation, reducing conflict between decision-makers, and speeding up urban renewal.

The Effectiveness of Brainstorming in Developing Students’ Creative and Critical Thinking. A Case of Kakungulu Memorial School Kibuli in Makindye Division Kampala District

This qualitative study was conducted at Kakungulu Memorial School-Kibuli in Makindye Division, Kampala District, to assess the effectiveness of brainstorming in developing learners’ critical and creative thinking. The target population was all students from grades one to three where the competence-based curriculum had been implemented. The researcher used a convenient sampling technique to select all the one hundred (100) Form 2 history students to participate in the intervention. The technique was preferred because in Uganda, history is a compulsory subject from one to four, implying that all students in Form 2 were potential participants in the study. The researcher did this to avoid the influence of external factors that could be a threat to the validity of the study. The majority of the groups worked within the principles of cooperative learning to include positive interdependence, face-to-face promotional interaction, individual and group accountability, and displayed relevant social skills such as effective communication, leadership, and meaningful decision-making. However, a number of groups were not well informed about managing conflicts in groups. Brainstorming sessions can be a useful strategy to encourage genuine collaboration and interaction in the classroom. Putting together a well-stated problem and careful planning strategies can lead to meaningful idea generation and idea building, which can be used in solving problems or addressing specific courserelated issues. Keywords: Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Learners