Seminar

Conflict resolution across human societies

Zachary Garfield

January 19, 2021, 14:00–15:00

Toulouse

Room Zoom Meeting

Abstract

Conflicts are ubiquitous between individuals within communities and organizations as well as between groups, including societies and nations. Effective conflict resolution processes are an essential component of individual well-being, group functioning, and global security. Leadership is often a key component of conflict management and groups often “live or die” based on their ability to effectively settle variable conflict scenarios. The study of conflict resolution is a multidisciplinary pursuit with profound implications within academia as well as in politics, management studies, and industry. Despite much discourse and theorizing there is limited empirical data available on conflict resolution processes across the full range of human cultural and social diversity. The current study draws on a novel cross-cultural database developed from primary ethnographic documents to identify variation in evidence for conflict resolution across cultures and contexts and to identity the traits of individuals who resolve conflicts, and the individual costs and benefits of conflict resolution across human societies. Results discussed provide a rare view of the correlates of conflict resolution processes and their universality across cultures and diversity across social contexts.

Reference

Zachary Garfield, Conflict resolution across human societies, IAST Lunch Seminar, Toulouse: IAST, January 19, 2021, 14:00–15:00, room Zoom Meeting.