How Social Interaction, Social Structure and Socialisation Can Be Used to Reduce Inter-Tribal and Ethinic in Society

According to Okwudliba (1980) an ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more contending ethnic groups. While the sources of conflict may be political, social, or economic and individuals who fight for their ethnic groups position within society. It is important to note that most of these ethnic conflicts were caused by colonialism, which compounded inter-ethnic conflict by capitalising on the isolation of ethnic groups. The divide-and-conquer methods were used to pit ethnicities against each other, thus keeping people from rising up against colonisers. Distribution of economic resources was often skewed to favour a particular group, punishing marginalising groups to use their ethnicity to mobilise for equality. Therefore this essay will explain how social structure, social interaction and socialisation can be used to minimise inter-tribal and ethnic conflict in society.

However, ethnic conflict is caused by economic factors. Theorists believe that competition for scarce resources is a common factor in almost all ethnic conflicts in Africa. In multi-ethnic societies like Nigeria South Africa, ethnic communities violently compete for property, rights, jobs, education, language, social amenities and good health care facilities. Monty and Marshall (2003) supports that,” the working of economic factors makes for tension between groups with competing interest.’’

Firstly, we are going to focus on how social structure can be used to minimise inter-tribal and ethnic conflict in society. Hence, social structure is an organised set of social institutions and patterns of institutionalised relationships that together compose society. Social structure is both product of social interaction, and directly determines it. In the event of the state structure being in the hands of a particular ethnic group, the dominant and subordinate fights for power-sharing for societal rewards and goods manifest themselves in ethnic terms. However, inequality in power-sharing need not always lead to ethnic conflicts.

For example, in the structures of South Africa government are constitutionally changed to make way for the government of national unity. Power-sharing mechanisms included in the constitution and offered to every tribe across the country so that the ethnic or racial domination can be prevented and scarce resources can be distributed amongst ethnic groups equally as well. Kogila (1993) conforms that,” The South Africa government constitution also dismantled the homeland, this act signified end of apartheid. The conditions in black reservations were inhuman and poverty was endemic and social amenities and jobs were scarce. The constitution provided for the former four provinces that existed during apartheid. This decision aimed to distribute power between subnational units. The provinces enjoy relative autonomy, thus helping to de-escalate conflict.’’

Secondly, social interaction can be used to alleviate impacts