ABSTRACT
This chapter considers group conflict is used as a synonym of social conflict. It mainly concerns describing and evaluating the two principal approaches to conflict theory: the breakdown-deprivation approach and the solidarity-mobilization approach. The chapter also concerns two issues of theory construction that are particularly salient in theorizing about social conflict: levels of analysis and the use of different assumptions about human behavior. Urbanization, industrialization, and centralization of government stimulate political conflict, because the authorities make claims on the resources of groups that retain a viable social organization and hence are capable of defense mobilization. Mobilization provides a potential for collective action. Conflict however results from collective action, and in particular from the interaction of challenger's and target's collective actions. The topic of conflict cuts across a range of disciplines, from economics to biology by way of history, political science, sociology, anthropology, and psychology.
