Moving from being to becoming: The emergence and de-escalation of conflict between ethnic minority groups

Aanvrager: Prof. dr. E.H. Gordijn  (Rijksuniversity Groningen)

Abstract
Ethnic conflict is typically conceptualized as a negative relationship between an ethnic majority and minority group (e.g., the Dutch versus Dutch Moroccans). An urgent and emergent issue in multi-ethnic societies, however, is that minorities also develop conflicts with other minorities (e.g., Dutch Moroccans versus Moluccans). We propose that framing the conflict in terms of existing stereotypes and identities (being) stimulates the emergence and escalation of minority-minority and majority-minority conflict. By contrast, a focus on becoming (i.e., collective striving toward  concrete future outcomes) should simultaneously reduce both types of conflict. Rigorous empirical research provides the foundation for developing a new intervention.