Study title

Conflicts between groups are among the most challenging problems of mankind. They arise as groups compete for the possession of certain scarce resources. Under what conditions does such competition lead to conflict or to a peaceful coexistence? Why do individual group members, despite the likelihood of being harmed, voluntarily become involved in conflicts? Social Networks and Intergroup Conflict explores how decisions of individuals in competitive intergroup relations are influenced by their social network and by a common past and future. Social network effects are studied with a specific focus on the segregation effect. It is shown how these effects arise from individual actions that are constrained by social control which takes place in the individuals network neighborhood. The study reveals conditions under which social control has positive or negative effects on individual participation in conflict. It shows the mechanisms through which social control operates and affects intergroup relations. In repeated interactions it is analyzed how and to what extent individuals apply behavioral heuristics that are driven by past experience or are based on future expectations. This study examines these questions using analytical, computer simulation and experimental tools in order to promote methods of conflict resolution.