Pluralism and the Features of Conflict Limits: An Anthropological Approach in the Iraqi Landscape

Abstract

This research aims to identify the manifestations of the principle of pluralism in the interactive processes between the different cultural groups within one framework. The research defines the processes of social interaction that are projected on the principle of pluralism to know whether pluralism has an impact on those processes; namely representation, competition, conflict, and consensus. The study finds that the representation of values ​​and customs do not occur between groups but within each group separately and that pluralism, with the addition of some factors such as the sectarian continuum, becomes an important factor in the conflict. Thus, pluralism is found to be a major influence in the competition on the level of place, status, and empowerment in any competition. Therefore, the displacement of a certain group has been the result of competition for place and the intensity of ethnic discourse has been the result of competition for status. The competition in economics, on the other hand, has been an important factor in preventing conflict, for groups to participate in, and maintain the economy. Preventing conflict also led to the existence of a state of consensus that produced what we may call “avoidance mechanism” which may appear at first glance a positive factor or a positive result of interaction, but it is actually close to returning conflict if it is penetrated by the sectarian communicator.