Abstract We analyze the choice of policy platform that a group heterogeneous challengers will support to confront current in subsequent contest between them and status-quo defenders. The this alternative affect not only incentives get involved conflict (intra-group effect), but also mobilization defenders (inter-group effect). disentangle these two effects show degree polarization (distance pol...

The importance of the growth and intra-state conflict nexus cannot be overemphasised. The lack of growth prevents poverty reduction and the achievement of the millennium development goals. Similarly, poverty and low growth help to increase the risk of conflict, as individuals have less to lose from conflict in situations of poverty. Consequently, the security and development agendas cannot be d...

Communal violent has shattered the image of Maluku as a socially harmonious community where traditional institutions, such as pela and sasi, have been thought to represent or facilitate inter-group harmony and sustainable resource management. More than three years of sectarian conflict has destroyed settlements and resources, and left many displaced people. It has changed the physical and socia...

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by the occurrence of motor and vocal tics: involuntary, repetitive, stereotyped behaviours that occur with a limited duration, often typically many times in a single day. Previous studies suggest that children and adolescents with TS may undergo compensatory, neuroplastic changes in brain structure and function that help the...

Within a standard stochastic evolutionary framework, we study the evolution of morality, both at the level of behavior and at the level of codes of behavior. These moral codes involve sanctioning deviant agents. We provide conditions under which the presence of inter-group conflict allows the emergence of moral codes which improve social efficiency. The result depends on both the efficacy of th...

Civil society organizations (CSOs) have important roles to play in building trust post-conflict societies. This research examined how 25 CSO peacebuilders use communication build Northern Ireland. Our findings suggest that work across different levels of as intermediaries. Communication is central peacebuilders’ practice engendering and demonstrating their trustworthiness individuals, inter-gro...

Altruism among humans is common. It especially prominent in-group members. However, we are struck by results from laboratory-in-the-field experiments with out-group members of different ethnic or religious backgrounds. In all instances, the groups were rivals in civil wars. While find almost no altruistic behavior that engaged fighting, altruism emerges passage time. To address underlying mecha...

This paper is a contribution to the development of an ontology of conflict. In particular, we single out and we study a peculiar notion of group conflict, that we suggestively label ‘social contradiction’. In order to do so, we shall introduce and discuss the methodology of social choice theory, since it allows for defining the notion of collective attitude that may emerge from a number of poss...