Culture and Conflict

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.