Anthropological Contributions to Conflict Resolution

Book excerpt: Anthropological Contributions to Conflict Resolution consists of ten essays that make vividly apparent the variety of ways that anthropological approaches and perspectives can be of practical worth in the resolution of conflicts. The essays represent various subdisciplines in anthropology, including legal and political anthropology, economic anthropology, cross-cultural studies, interpretive approaches, and social network approaches. Conflicts and potential conflicts at many levels are the subjects of the essays. One contributor uses an ethnographic account of Sikh separatists in Punjab, India, to explore fighting resulting from the intertwining of religion and politics. Another essay discusses the role that anthropology played in conceptualizing the legal reforms on an island in the remote western Pacific in relation to the recent emergence of alternative dispute resolution. Conflicts over the commons in an American suburb are examined, as are harmony ideology and adversarial ideology as they are used for both freedom and control at a manufacturing plant. The introductory essay includes a discussion of network models in regard to conflict resolution, and the epilogue cites an agenda for applied research in the area.