Modelling Behaviour in Intergroup Conflicts: A Review of Microeconomic Approaches

Hannes Rusch*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

Abstract

Microeconomic modelling offers a powerful formal toolbox for analysing the complexities of real-world intergroup relations and conflicts. One important class of models scrutinizes individuals' valuations of different group memberships, attitudes towards members of different groups and preferences for resource distribution in group contexts. A second broad class uses game theoretical methods to study strategic interactions within and between groups of individuals in contest and in conflict. After a concise discussion of some essential peculiarities of microeconomic modelling, this review provides an overview of the pertinent literatures in economics, highlights instructive examples of central model types and points out several ways forward. This article is part of the theme issue 'Intergroup conflict across taxa'.

Original languageEnglish
Article number20210135
Pages (from-to)947-962
Number of pages8
JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-biological Sciences
Volume377
Issue number1851
Early online date2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 May 2022

Keywords

  • conflict
  • intergroup relations
  • group behaviour
  • game theory
  • behavioural economics
  • computational modelling
  • FISSION-FUSION DYNAMICS
  • IN-GROUP ALTRUISM
  • SOCIAL IDENTITY
  • ECONOMICS
  • PREFERENCES
  • WAR
  • ETHNICITY
  • CONTESTS
  • SHADOW
  • COASE

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