Protracted social conflict is a theory that Edward Azar developed. The protracted social conflict denotes hostile interactions between the communal groups that are based on racial, ethnic, religious and cultural hatreds. The hostility persists for a more extended period with sporadic outbreaks of violence which threaten the group’s identity. The theory outlines the different natures of conflicts over an extended period. Group identity is the primary driver of the protracted social conflict. The tensions between race, ethnicity, and culture are key factors leading to differences between communities. In this context, the following elements will be discussed fully as outlined in the Azar article: endogenous vs exogenous conflicts, the notion of a ‘Feud,’ equilibrating forces, crises of war and peace, and the range of the normal relation amongst other elements as outlined in the article.
Edward Azar outlined endogenous and exogenous conflicts in the article. Endogenous conflicts are those that originate within a community or a society. These conflicts among communities and societies are deeply motivated by the emergence of internal dynamics, structures, and processes that occur daily in society. The endogenous conflicts are characterized by identity bias and structural inequality (Azar,16-40). The conflicts often revolve around identity-related issues such as religion, nationality and culture. On the other hand, structural inequality under the endogenous conflicts is associated with the inequalities within the society. These inequalities may be social, political or economic, contributing to the emergence and persistence of endogenous societal conflicts.
Historical grievances like past injustices and discrimination commonly bring about endogenous societal conflicts. Marginalization and exclusion are another cause of the endogenous conflicts in the society. Political exclusion of certain groups is an example which may bring about internal tensions (Azar,16-40). Facilitating dialogue and reconciliation processes within communities and societies can majorly control the dominance of endogenous conflicts. Similarly, exogenous conflicts are another form of societal tension, as outlined in the Azar article. The exogenous conflicts are generated or influenced by external factors, which usually involve interventions from outside the community and societies.
Exogenous conflicts are commonly characterized by international involvement and proxy wars. International organizations, states and non-state entities are the common elements that bring in exogenous conflicts. Similarly, external powers can cause exogenous conflicts by supporting opposing factions within a country. The external powers can support opposing factions in the need for geostrategic interests and humanitarian interventions (Hoole,145-163). For instance, geopolitical consideration, access to resources and the desire to maintain influence are some of the geostrategic interests the external powers may chip in, causing exogenous conflicts. In the case of humanitarian intervention, the external organization may be aimed at addressing some human rights abuses or preventing atrocities.
Azar’s article on endogenous and exogenous conflicts provides a valuable framework for evaluating and understanding the origins and dynamics of societal conflicts. These conflicts ensure that people get the desired approach, knowing that conflicts often result from complex interactions of internal and external factors. The notion of a ‘feud,’ equilibrating forces, commonly referred to the prolonged conflict between communal groups. Hostility, hatred and violent interactions characterized the communal groups. The Feud is a protracted form of state hostility. According to Azar, Feuds persist over an extended period and often become deeply ingrained in the social fabric of the associated societies. The Feud centred around threats to the identity of the communal groups. The Feud had the following impacts: first is social fragmentation, whereby the feuds could lead to the fragmentation of societies, which creates divisions that last over generations. Secondly, the feuds bring violence and insecurity, which result in sporadic outbreaks of violence, creating a persistent sense of insecurity among the affected communities.
Azar introduced the concept of equilibrating forces to describe the stability and balancing mechanisms within a society that prevent the complete breakdown of order despite a protracted feu. War and peace are usually considered to be opposite to each other. Peace can only prevail where there is no war, and war can exist without peace (Azar,16-40). War is a confrontation between two large groups. For instance, in the current world, there is a war between Israel and Palestine. The war concludes that there is no peace between the two states. Azar, in his articles, outlines the crises of war and peace. Any country experiencing security threats is under threat of a decrease in its production rate. Demands that people may start moving out of the country to foreign countries where peace prevails.
On the other hand, there is progressive economic, social, industrial and agricultural growth for the nations where peace prevails. Also, conflicts hinder normal relations, whereby some communities may start fighting against each other, which leads to internal tensions (Lev, 350-368). According to Azar’s article, according to international relations, a nation can be at peace or war with another. War is viewed as an aberration from the norm, a malfunction of an organism whose normal condition is one of peace.
Edward Azar’s work on protracted social conflict focused on better understanding the dynamics, causes, and resolution strategies. It is crucial to recognize the specific outcomes in complex geopolitical situations. Below are some ways in which some of these aspects of Azar relate to the current state of affairs: First, there are root causes and identity issues. Azar emphasizes historical grievances and structural inequalities, the major causes of conflicts. In the current situation, most of the conflicts are majorly rooted in identities such as ethnic, religious or cultural differences.
As outlined in Azar’s article, endogenous and exogenous factors are currently visible in the current situation. Both external and internal factors are still the major causes of war in different states and nations. For instance, foreign states may support political opposition in a particular country to favour its humanistic intervention or political matters. The idea of crises of war and peace and the normal relations range reflects the cyclical nature of conflicts. Currently, some states are experiencing contemporary conflicts that involve periods of escalation and de-escalation.
Current state affairs have come up with various circumstances currently applied within society. The current state of affairs can be considered acceptable by people, but not all. Some state affairs are challenging, while others are smoothly put into action. Some are complicated, while others contain conflicts of interest. For instance, the Israel-Palestine events link to the discussion above from Azar’s article. Peace and war relations are evident in the events that are taking place in the two countries. According to the article, the peace of one state depends on whether the other state is at peace with it.
On the other hand, the conflict and war of one state depends on the other. In this context, the peace of Israel will significantly depend on Palestine. The day Palestine drops weapons and comes into peace and reconciliation with Israel, the two countries will be at peace. Otherwise, if the two countries do not agree, they will still fight each other.
Currently, each nation has different political parties involving different ethnic groups. If there is tension or poor relations amongst them, the political parties will have internal differences, leading to the deformation of the party or organization. Opposition to the governing political parties is emerging due to internal friction. The internal frictions are brought about by ethnic, religious and cultural differences (Mohammed,1-18). Some countries are enduring economic and technological under-development features and unintegrated social and political systems. The underdevelopment results from political instability and external interventions, bringing exogenous conflicts in different countries. Therefore, protracted social conflicts have hindered efficiency and productivity, lowering competition and innovation in the current world. Many youths need jobs since there are minimal job opportunities resulting from endogenous conflicts amongst different cultures.
In conclusion, Edward Azar’s article about the protracted social conflicts reflects current affairs. The article outlines the internal and external factors that have led to conflicts in different nations. The article has laid the relevant ideas of how conflicts emerge and addresses the root causes that may lead to internal or external conflicts. By addressing the issues mentioned above, state and individual relations will be enhanced, curbing any outcome of the war.
Works Cited
Azar, Edward E., Paul Jureidini, and Ronald McLaurin. “Protractcd Social Conflict; Theory and Practice in the Middle East.” Journal of Palestine Studies 8.1 (1978): 41-60.
Hoole, Francis W., and Chi Huang. “The Global Conflict Process.” The Journal of Conflict Resolution, vol. 33, no. 1, 2020, pp. 142–163, www.jstor.org/stable/174236.
Levy, Jack S. “War and peace.” Handbook of international relations (2002): 350–368.
Mohammed, Suren Jamal, and David Romano. “The Kurdish Conflict in Turkey: The Central Role of Identity Recognition (or Lack Thereof).” Ethnopolitics (2023): 1–18.
Winter, David G. “The role of motivation, responsibility, and integrative complexity in crisis escalation: comparative studies of war and peace crises.” Journal of personality and social psychology 92.5 (2007): 920.
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