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The ‘narcissism of minor differences’-theory : can it explain ethnic conflict?

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2007
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Kolsto, Pal
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Abstract
In many ethnic conflicts and civil wars in the 20th century the cultural differences between the warring groups were very small. The bloody conflicts between Serbs, Croatians, and Bosnians during the breakup of Yugoslavia are a case in point. This observation has led some commentators to conclude that a lack of ob- jective cultural markers between groups may itself be conducive to violence: When the members of two groups are difficult to tell apart, violence is inserted in order to create identity boundaries between them. One particular version of this theory goes under the name ‘narcissism of mi- nor differences’. This expression goes back to Sigmund Freud, who applied it both to individual psychology and in his philosophy of culture. The notion has been largely ignored by practicing psychotherapists, but over the last decades, however, it has been discovered by journalists and social scientists and applied to cases of collective rather than individual violence. The present... article examines some of the articles and books that expound the ‘the narcissism of minor differences’-concept in order to as- sess the explanatory strength and weaknesses of this theory.

Keywords:
narcissism of minor differences / identity boundaries / etnički sukobi / kulturne razlike
Source:
Filozofija i društvo/Philosophy and Society, 2007, 153-171
Publisher:
  • Beograd: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju

DOI: 10.2298/FID0702153K

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URI
http://rifdt.instifdt.bg.ac.rs/123456789/77
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  • Glavna kolekcija
  • Filozofija i društvo [Philosophy and Society]
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IFDT
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Kolsto, Pal
PY  - 2007
UR  - http://rifdt.instifdt.bg.ac.rs/123456789/77
AB  - In many ethnic conflicts and civil wars in the 20th century the cultural differences between the warring groups were very small. The bloody conflicts
between Serbs, Croatians, and Bosnians during the breakup of Yugoslavia are a case
in point. This observation has led some commentators to conclude that a lack of ob-
jective cultural markers between groups may itself be conducive to violence: When
the members of two groups are difficult to tell apart, violence is inserted in order to
create identity boundaries between them.
One particular version of this theory goes under the name ‘narcissism of mi-
nor differences’. This expression goes back to Sigmund Freud, who applied it both to
individual psychology and in his philosophy of culture. The notion has been largely
ignored by practicing psychotherapists, but over the last decades, however, it has
been discovered by journalists and social scientists and applied to cases of collective
rather than individual violence. The present article examines some of the articles and
books that expound the ‘the narcissism of minor differences’-concept in order to as-
sess the explanatory strength and weaknesses of this theory.
PB  - Beograd: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
T2  - Filozofija i društvo/Philosophy and Society
T1  - The ‘narcissism of minor differences’-theory : can it explain ethnic conflict?
SP  - 153
EP  - 171
DO  - 10.2298/FID0702153K
ER  - 
@article{
author = "Kolsto, Pal",
year = "2007",
abstract = "In many ethnic conflicts and civil wars in the 20th century the cultural differences between the warring groups were very small. The bloody conflicts
between Serbs, Croatians, and Bosnians during the breakup of Yugoslavia are a case
in point. This observation has led some commentators to conclude that a lack of ob-
jective cultural markers between groups may itself be conducive to violence: When
the members of two groups are difficult to tell apart, violence is inserted in order to
create identity boundaries between them.
One particular version of this theory goes under the name ‘narcissism of mi-
nor differences’. This expression goes back to Sigmund Freud, who applied it both to
individual psychology and in his philosophy of culture. The notion has been largely
ignored by practicing psychotherapists, but over the last decades, however, it has
been discovered by journalists and social scientists and applied to cases of collective
rather than individual violence. The present article examines some of the articles and
books that expound the ‘the narcissism of minor differences’-concept in order to as-
sess the explanatory strength and weaknesses of this theory.",
publisher = "Beograd: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju",
journal = "Filozofija i društvo/Philosophy and Society",
title = "The ‘narcissism of minor differences’-theory : can it explain ethnic conflict?",
pages = "153-171",
doi = "10.2298/FID0702153K"
}
Kolsto, P.. (2007). The ‘narcissism of minor differences’-theory : can it explain ethnic conflict?. in Filozofija i društvo/Philosophy and Society
Beograd: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju., 153-171.
https://doi.org/10.2298/FID0702153K
Kolsto P. The ‘narcissism of minor differences’-theory : can it explain ethnic conflict?. in Filozofija i društvo/Philosophy and Society. 2007;:153-171.
doi:10.2298/FID0702153K .
Kolsto, Pal, "The ‘narcissism of minor differences’-theory : can it explain ethnic conflict?" in Filozofija i društvo/Philosophy and Society (2007):153-171,
https://doi.org/10.2298/FID0702153K . .

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