Culture and Conflict

Abstract

Members of different cultures sample with diverse probabilities different kinds of information from their environment. Some sample the content of communications more than the context (e.g. tone of voice, gestures), whereas others do the reverse. Some sample processes internal to individuals (e.g. attitudes, beliefs) whereas others sample processes external to individuals (e.g. social influences, roles) with higher probabilities. Some give greater weights to ascribed attributes of persons, such as ethnicity, race, religion, and others to achieved attributes, such as beliefs, attitudes, or a record of achievements. These differences have profound implications for the probability of conflict and the type of conflict that will develop between individuals and groups. Les membres d'une culture echantillonnent differents types d'informtion de leur environnement avec des probabilites differentes. Certains echantillonnent le contenu des communications davantage que le contexte (ex: ton de la voix, gestes), tandis que d'autres font l'inverse. Certains echantillonnent les processus internes de l'individu (ex: attitudes, croyances), tandis que d'autres echantillonnent les processus externes (ex: influences sociales, roles). Certains donnent plus de poids aux attributs intrinseques des personnes comme le groupe ethnique, la race, la religion et d'autres donnent plus de poids aux attributs acquis comme les croyances, les attitudes ou les accomplissements. Ces differences ont des implications importantes pour la probabilite d'un conflit et pour le type de conflit qui surgira entre individus ou groupes.