Conflict and Cohesion: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Future Research

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Abstract
James, P. Conflict and Cohesion: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Future Research. Cooperation and Conflict, XXII, 1987, 21-33. This essay contains a reappraisal of empirical research on conflict and cohesion. Behavioral studies of the linkage between domestic and foreign conflict are described in some detail. The consensus of that literature is that internal conflict is externalized only under very restricted conditions. However, in the process of reviewing this research, several important conceptual problems have been identified. Testing has focused on static rather than dynamic manifestations of conflict. Fragmentary indicators have been used to assess conflict at both levels of political interaction, and measurement is further complicated by the question of cross-national validity. In addition, the role of the state and environmental constraints on projection are in need of further exploration. It is recommended that all of these factors be considered in any new model of the conflict nexus that is intended for empirical testing.