From complex conflicts to stable cooperation

Authored by Juergen Scheffran, Bruce Hannon

DOI: 10.1002/cplx.20201

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Conflict is a dynamic and complex form of human interaction, often emerging from incompatible actions, values, and goals and consuming a considerable amount of resources. Conflicts are an expression of and a contribution to system instability and may lead to chaotic escalation between adversaries, causing a breakdown of social and natural systems. To resolve conflicts, the actors can adjust their actions toward cooperatively stabilizing their interaction and form stable coalitions. To study the dynamics of conflict and the evolution of cooperation, we introduce an integrated framework for modeling the interaction of multiple actors who pursue objectives by allocating their resources to various action paths. In repeated learning cycles, actors can adjust their actions and resources to those of other actors, thus shifting from conflict to cooperation. Within our general framework, it is possible to study the complexity and instability of multiactor constellations and the transition to cooperation for specific examples in a wide range of fields, including military security of missile defense systems and environmental conflicts in fishery management, energy, and climate change. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tags

Agent-based modeling Cooperation conflict Fishery coalition energy and climate change security