A framework for understanding emotions in violent ethnic conflicts

Abstract

Emotions have been studied largely within an interpersonal context but are now increasingly investigated wthin large scale social problems. This paper reviews key concepts in affective science as applicable to violent ethnic conflict. Beginning with the customary question “what are emotions?”, a cognitive-motivational perspective points to the appraisals and action tendencies inherent in anger and fear, the twin emotions corresponding to fight or flight during violent encounters. Also relevant to violent ethnic conflict are resentment, contempt, sadness, shame, guilt, pride/honor, and remorse. Whether these emotions are (i) situational (state) or dispositional (trait), (ii) felt vs expressed, they have further implications for conflict. Anger, as one example of emotion, can be characterized with reference to five parameters; it can also be represented along six major dimensions of expression, as witnessed interpersonally and intercommunally. A new theoretical position is taken in which violent ethnic conflict is no longer positioned within the primordalist-constructivist dichotomy, but instead is viewed as a function of predisposing factors, precipitating factors, exacerbating factors, perpetuating factors, consequences, and enabling factors. Each of these factors may carry its own cache of emotions that interact with one another over the course of violent ethnic conflict.