This website focuses on armed conflicts between two parties. The parties can be groups, organizations, or nations. "Conflict" is defined as perceived divergence of interests, a perception by one of the parties ("Party") that its aspirations are incompatible with those of the other party ("Other").
Conflict poses a choice between four broad strategies:
Two of these strategies, contending and problem solving, can be enacted in many different ways, called "tactics." When contending or joint problem solving is adopted by both parties, the result is overt confrontation, a behavioural form of conflict.
Conflict, defined as perceived divergence of interest, occurs when no alternative seems to exist that will satisfy the aspirations of both parties. This can occur because the parties have high aspirations or because integrative alternatives appear to be in short supply.
Conflict is particularly sizeable if the parties have rigid aspirations that they regard as legitimate, because this blocks a solution by yielding. Divergence of interest is often discovered as a result of relative deprivations; and the frustration engendered by relative deprivation adds to the pursuit of conflict objectives.
Conditions that encourage conflict include the following:
Before a set of people with common interests can become involved in conflict, group mobilization must take place. Group mobilization involves developing a common group identity, producing a leadership structure, and adopting group goals in pursuit of the common interests.
Group mobilization can be encouraged the following reasons:
Group mobilization is hard to reverse once it has taken place.