Week 8: War and Conflict

Question 1

Why War?

Answer 1

Violent conflict seems to have prevailed throughout the course of human history

It is also universally condemned -> war is destructive

Conflicts are contagious

Many are intractable and persist for generations

Question 2

Material ‘functions’ of war and conflict

Answer 2

Gain territory and wealth
Fuel the economy
Export own ideologies and culture

Question 3

Psychological ‘functions’ of war and conflict

Answer 3

Provides meaning
builds ingroup solidarity

Question 4

Meaning in Conflict

Answer 4

the enduring attraction of war is this: even with its destruction and carnage it can give us what we long for in life. It can give us purpose, meaning, a reason for living.

Conflict salience + meaning = support for more conflict; conflict salience = support for more conflict

Question 5

War and Ingroup Solidarity

Answer 5

When facing any extreme threat from the outside there’s a tendency for people to ‘pull together’

In war, there is extreme pressure for internal critics to keep quiet

There is a well-established finding that people are MORE tolerant and LESS defensive of ingroup critics vs. outgroup critics -> ingroup sensitivity effect

It’s about trust: ingroup critics viewed as having the group’s best intentions aat heart; outgroup critics viewed more suspiciously