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Identity Issues: Additional Resources
These references supplement the Knowledge Base Essay, Identity Issues.
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Additional Explanations of the Underlying Concepts:
Online (Web) Sources
Little, David. Belief, Ethnicity, and Nationalism. United States Institute of Peace . Available at: http://www.usip.org/religionpeace/rehr/belethnat.html [Backup Link] This paper explores the relationship of ethnic conflict to intolerance and discrimination, as defined by human rights standards. It is based on the continuing work sponsored by the United States Insitute of Peace on the role of religous and related forms of belief in the formation and mobilization of ethnic identity and nationalism. Drawing upon the work of Max Weber, and giving examples from case studies of Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Tibet, the essay proposes a partial explanation of the sources of intolerance. McGuire, Patrick A. Experts Offer Theories on the Roots of Ethnic Conflicts. Available at: http://www.apa.org/monitor/aug98/root.html [Backup Link] This article discusses the phenomena of group identity and how it often contributes to ethnopolitical conflict, as groups tend to identify themselves in opposition to other groups. Galenkamp, Marlies. "Group Identity and Individual Autonomy within Liberal Democracies: In Search of Guidelines." , December 1998 Available at: http://www.gmu.edu/academic/pcs/galenkam.htm [Backup Link] This essay addresses the question of the extent to which societies should allow minority groups to perform practices that are viewed as divergent or unacceptable by the majority of the society. Should the identity of minority groups be preserved in entirety, even when part of that identity is harmful or offensive? If not, where should the line be drawn between what is acceptable and what is unacceptable? Social Psychological Aspects of Peacebuilding. Available at: Primary Link [Backup Link] This page presents a general discussion of the importance of examining social psychological impacts of conflict on individuals and society. It is argued that if psychology drives the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and their collectivities, then emphasis must be placed on understanding the psychology of conflict and its consequences. This page includes discussions of identity, perceptions, and trauma and healing.
Offline (Print) Sources
Rubenstein, Richard E. "Analyzing and Resolving Class Conflict ." In Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice. Edited by van der Merwe, Hugo and Dennis J.D. Sandole, eds. Manchester, U.K.: Manchester University Press, 1993. The author observes that scholars have shifted their focus from settling interest-based disputes in traditional venues to addressing profoundly alienated social relationships between people who do not have access to legitimated institutions for conflict resolution. Primary Link Conversi, Daniele. Ethnonationalism in the Contemporary World: Walker Connor and the Study of Nationalism. London: Routledge, July 1, 2002. "Contributors represent a broad array of disciplines: anthropology, comparative politics, geography, history, linguistics, political science, sociology, social psychology, and international relations. The authors are world-renowned authorities both within their respective disciplines and the field of national identity. The contributors address the core issues of identity, including race and identity, race and nation, ethnicity and nation, language and nation, religion and nation, homelands and homeland psychology, dating the creation of nations, the primordial debate, managing ethnic conflict, and the relationship of nationalism to patriotism." Isaacs, Harold Robert. Idols of the Tribe: Group Identity and Political Change. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, December 1, 1989. Isaacs sorts out some fundamentals in forming group identity: the body, names, language, history of origins, relgion, and nationality. These are dynamic elements that are melded together but have the possibility of creating new pluralisms. (back cover) Stein, Janice Gross. "Image, Identity and Conflict Resolution." In Managing Global Chaos: Sources of and Responses to International Conflict. Edited by Crocker, Chester A., Fen Osler Hampson and Pamela Aall, eds. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1996. Stein discusses the need for group identity and the tendency to distinguish between "insiders" and "outsiders". Stereotyped enemy images form in this context and tend to perpetuate and intensify conflict. Has extensive discussion of Egypt's Anwar Sadat and the Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev to illustrate the role of psychological factors. Similar chapter appears in Turbulent Peace. Primary Link [Backup Link] Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso Books, July 1, 1991. Anderson's book is one of the preeminent studies of the social construction of national identity. His chief argument is that nationalism is largely built on mythical historical foundations and lacks any substance other than the utility to the society in question at that present moment. Gurr, Ted Robert. "Minorities, Nationalists, and Ethnopolitical Conflict." In Managing Global Chaos: Sources or and Responses to International Conflict. Edited by Crocker, Chester A.; Hampson, ed. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1996. This chapter summarizes current theories on ethnopolitical conflict. It examines the serious challenge these conflicts pose to global security and the role modernization has played in the development of these conflicts. It also addresses the salience of group identity, group cohesion and mobilization, repressive control by dominant groups, political action, and the international diffusion and contagion of ethnopolitical conflict. Smith, Anthony D. National Identity. University of Nevada Press, May 1993. This book looks at national and other identities, the ethnic basis of national identities, the rise of nations, nationalism and cultural identity, as well as discussing separatism and multi-nationalism. Gurr, Ted Robert. Peoples Versus States: Minorities at Risk in the New Century. Herndon, VA: USIP Press, July 1, 2000. Following the book Minorities at Risk, Peoples Versus States addresses the risk that ethnic and nationalist conflict will place on minorities in the twenty-first century. Dovidio, John F. "Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Differences in Responding to Distinctiveness and Discrimination on Campus: Stigma and Common Group Identity." Journal of Social Issues 57:1, 2001. "The present article examines how the salience of group membership can moderate or diffuse feelings of stigmatization for members of racial and ethnic minorities. A series of studies is presented that demonstrate that the development of a common group identity can diffuse the effects of stigmatization, improve intergroup attitudes, and enhance institutional satisfaction and commitment among colleges students and faculty." -abstract Rothman, Jay. Resolving Identity-Based Conflict in Nations, Organizations, and Communities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, June 1997. This book discusses identity-based conflict in terms of theory and practice, with Rothman outlining a four-phase model of conflict; antagonism, resonance, invention, and action. The work offers possible avenues for transforming a wide array of conflict situations. Primary Link [Backup Link] Scarry, Elaine. "The Difficulty of Imagining Other Persons ." In The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence. Edited by Weiner, Eugene, ed. New York: Continuum Publishing, 1998. The author addresses the problem of violence and cruelty toward foreigners. She argues that the way we act toward others depends on how we see them. Primary Link Northrup, Terrell A. "The Dynamic of Identity in Personal and Social Conflict." Intractable Conflicts and Their Transformation , October 1989. In this essay Northrup argues that identity is always an important factor in conflictual relationships, as threats to identity can cause conflict or contribute to its intractability. The essay gives a definition and a thorough analysis of the concept of identity. Primary Link
Examples Illustrating this Topic:
Online (Web) Sources
Baird, Anthony. "An Atmosphere of Reconciliation: A Theory of Resolving Ethnic Conflicts Based on the Transcaucasian Conflicts." Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Vol. 2, No. 3 , August 1999 Available at: http://trinstitute.org/ojpcr/2-4baird.htm [Backup Link] This theory-building paper concentrates on two of the lesser-recognized ethnic conflicts of the past decade. These conflicts occurred between Azerbaijan and its Armenian enclave Nagorno-Karabakh, and between Georgia and secessionist Abkhaz, in the former Soviet Union region of Transcaucasia. These conflicts were some of the bloodiest, yet most ignored of the past decade, and were chosen for theoretical development based on the author's notion that they provide insights into a phenomenon that cannot be discovered by solely focusing on Bosnia and Kosovo. Byrne, Sean. "Conflict and Group Identity: Lessons from Northern Ireland." , January 2000 Available at: http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/crcii/ni-1.pdf [Backup Link] This essay examines the conflict in Northern Ireland. The author argues that conflict causes each group to identify themselves more clearly, making the prospect of peace seem like a threat to group identity. Safioleas, Penelope D. "Identity Shift and Europe's Changing Perception of Others:Europe, Turkey, and the Issue of Self-Identification." Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Vol. 2, No. 1 , March 1999 Available at: http://www.trinstitute.org/ojpcr/2-1identity.htm [Backup Link] This essay examines Europe's hesitation to admit Turkey to the European Union. It describes identity-based prejudices in Europe's perception of Turkey, and examines the negative consequences of Europe's "identity shift." Schwedler, Jillian. "Islamic Identity: Myth, Menace, or Mobilizer?." SAIS Review, Vol. 21, No. 2 , 2001 Available at: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/sais-review/v021/21.2schwedler.html [Backup Link] This article looks at the notions of identity in general and what the formation of an Islamic identity in particular might entail. Then the author examines a few cases in which an Islamic identity may have some explanatory power for understanding political mobilization. Finally, the author discusses whether a common Islamic identity--as part of the undeniable spread of the Islamic faith globally--is really behind Islamic political mobilization on both regional and global scales. Mediation Theory and Identity Disputes: Lessons From Regional Ethnic Conflicts. Available at: http://www.mtds.wayne.edu/identity/index.htm [Backup Link] This site summarizes the conference sponsored by the Wayne State University Program on Mediating Theory and Democratic Systems held on February 2, 1998. The conference related mediation and negotiation theory to identity disputes in order to improve conflict resolution in global and regional contexts. The emphasis was on comparative case study of different violent conflict situations throughout the world in which group identity was a key motivating factor. van Beurden, Jos. "Somalia: From Permanent Conflict to More Peacefulness?." , 2000 Available at: Primary Link [Backup Link] This article profiles the dynamics of the conflict in Somalia, which is rooted in socio-cultural and economic status differences between people living a traditional pastoral lifestyle and the authority of the modern state. The article discusses peacemaking efforts that have been carried out in Somalia as well.
Offline (Print) Sources
Rudolph, Joseph R. Encyclopedia of Modern Ethnic Conflicts. Westport: Greenwood Press (GP), 2003. This broad work presents detailed looks at 38 different ethnic conflicts around the world. Each conflict is discussed with a timeline and an extensive essay covering the conflict's details, historical background, conflict management, and the significance of the conflict. Minorities and Nationalists: Managing Ethnopolitical Conflict in the New Century. This article presents a survey of the current evidence and analyses of ethnopolitical conflicts around the world. These conflicts are engaged in by groups who define themselves using ethnic or national criteria and make claims against the state or other political actors, regarding their collective interests (ie. Mayans of Chiapas, Bosnian Serbs). Social Conflicts and Collective Identities. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing, August 1, 2000. Patrick Coy is an Associate Professor at the Center for Applied Conflict Management and Political Science Department. Dr. Coy has published ethnographic research on the human rights work of a Peace Brigades International team in Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict, where he also served as an international observer. He has also published research on the Catholic Worker movement, on the community mediation movement, and on the peace movement during the Persian Gulf War. Starr, Harvey, ed. Understanding and Management of Global Violence: New Approaches to Theory and Research on Protracted Conflict. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, September 1999. The essays in this edited volume approach social conflict through the study of "protracted conflict", or conflicts that are long-term and permeate all aspects of society. The work attempts to understand contemporary global politics and conflict by looking across levels of analysis, from international, to transnational to domestic behavior. The approach is grounded in two-level analysis, focusing on the analysis of crisis and the nature of identity groups and enduring rivalries. Included are examinations of Israel, the Palestinians, and Lebanon; the Philippines, Nicaragua; Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan; and Northern Ireland.
Audiovisual Materials on this Topic:
Offline (Print) Sources
Prelude to Kosovo: War and Peace in Bosnia and Croatia. Directed and/or Produced by: Michalczyk, John. 1999. This film uses interviews from religious and political leaders in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia, to document how important the issues of identity and nationalism were to the people living in the Balkan region. Primary Link [Backup Link] Scared Again: Jews in Berlin, 1993 . Directed and/or Produced by: Hoepker, Thomas. First Run Icarus Films. 1993. This film examines how German Jews are dealing with issues of identity as neo-nazism is resurfacing in their country. Primary Link [Backup Link]
Teaching Materials on this Topic:
Online (Web) Sources
"They Are Not Like Us!": Teaching About Biases Against Immigration. Available at: http://education.indiana.edu/cas/tt/v2i2/they.html [Backup Link] This exercise helps students understand the general fear of "outsiders" or immigrants, that has existed in the United States throughout its history. It also explains that the culture of the US has survived and been enriched by each new wave of immigrants, despite hesitation by each generation of Americans. |
