RESOLVING CONFLICT BETWEEN GROUPS
While the following ideas and suggestions may not completely resolve intergroup conflict, with effort they are at least likely to reduce the conflict.
1. Find or develop a superordinate goal.
From the early work of Sherif and his colleagues (see Chapter Eight, Intergroup Conflict, in this volume and, for example, Sherif, Harvey, and Sherif, 1961), this may not be the only way to reduce if not resolve conflict between groups, but it clearly seems to be the primary mode.2. Similar to the notion of a superordinate goal is to concentrate on a “common enemy.” This might take the approach of shifting competition between the two groups to joining forces in order to defeat a competitor in the marketplace.
3. Conduct an intervention that brings the two groups together experientially to reduce if not resolve the conflict. Finding solutions together to resolve the conflict can itself serve as a superordinate goal. The case that follows illustrates this process and intervention.
More on the topic RESOLVING CONFLICT BETWEEN GROUPS:
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- ACCOUNTANCY CONFLICTS: A ‘MANAGED’ APPROACH
- One World, Many Peaces
- THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE MULTIPROTOCOL LABEL SWITCHING (MPLS) STANDARD
- Four frames
- THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF REGULATION
- REVIEW OF FORENSIC ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
- Defining restorative justice
- Annex A: List of UNDP Human Development Reports on Local Development Issues
- Codetermination as an interlocking system
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