Intergroup conflicts occupy a special place in the interaction of social groups and of necessity form the basic building blocks for the integration of previously fragmented groups. The Western Niger delta obviously ha...Intergroup conflicts occupy a special place in the interaction of social groups and of necessity form the basic building blocks for the integration of previously fragmented groups. The Western Niger delta obviously has since been a theatre of socio-political conflicts. Viewed from the contemporary clime, there is a lacuna in the formulation of theories and concepts in understanding and explaining the nature and pattern of intergroup relations in the region from the pre-colonial period. This work therefore attempts an exploratory analysis of some theories and concepts of intergroup relations in the Western Niger Delta of Nigeria using the historical approach with the use of secondary source materials. The paper concludes that the relation among the diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria, especially the Western Niger Delta, may not have been as intense, or as hostile as it has become since the attainment of independence in 1960. This paper no doubt is essential for the understanding and tackling of the problem of intergroup relations and conflict in the region in particular and Nigeria at large.展开更多
文摘Intergroup conflicts occupy a special place in the interaction of social groups and of necessity form the basic building blocks for the integration of previously fragmented groups. The Western Niger delta obviously has since been a theatre of socio-political conflicts. Viewed from the contemporary clime, there is a lacuna in the formulation of theories and concepts in understanding and explaining the nature and pattern of intergroup relations in the region from the pre-colonial period. This work therefore attempts an exploratory analysis of some theories and concepts of intergroup relations in the Western Niger Delta of Nigeria using the historical approach with the use of secondary source materials. The paper concludes that the relation among the diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria, especially the Western Niger Delta, may not have been as intense, or as hostile as it has become since the attainment of independence in 1960. This paper no doubt is essential for the understanding and tackling of the problem of intergroup relations and conflict in the region in particular and Nigeria at large.
