From David Hamilton
In Lee Dugatkin’s article on behaviour in conflict resolution no mention is made of the differences within and between groups (7 May, p 35). If an individual within a group enters into conflict resolution with another member of their own group, will they behave in the same way with an individual of a different group?
The key question is how one perceives one’s group. Conflict resolution behaviour would then rely on the perception of relatedness. Among humans, some would see “us” in the very narrow sense of our village, or, more widely, our ethnic group or our nation state, while others would view “us” as every human on Earth. When a bomb explodes, is the failure to pursue conflict resolution more a factor of “them” being from a different group, and so easier to go to war with?
If this is the case, then increasing everyone’s perception of relatedness is the answer.
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
