Escalation/De–escalation Models of Ethnic Conflict

The starting point of theoretical discourse on social conflicts, including ethnic ones, usually concerns their inevitability. This is because they form a specific class of social conflicts and as such are inherent – and crucial – for all social relations. A lot of notable works on the subject include such observation. ‘Conflict, of course, is intrinsic to human society and is often an agent of reform, adaptation, and development. But conflict can also engender destructive violence’, writes Richard H. Solomon. Conflicts perform the role of both social destroyers and creators, says Johan Galtung, and stresses: ‘Conflict generates energy. The problem is how to channel that energy constructively.’