Citation

Lim M, Metzler R, Bar-Yam Y. Science 2007; 317(5844): 1540-1544.

Affiliation

New England Complex Systems Institute, 24 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, American Association for the Advancement of Science)

DOI

10.1126/science.1142734

PMID

17872443

Abstract

We identify a process of global pattern formation that causes regions to differentiate by culture. Violence arises at boundaries between regions that are not sufficiently well defined. We model cultural differentiation as a separation of groups whose members prefer similar neighbors, with a characteristic group size at which violence occurs. Application of this model to the area of the former Yugoslavia and to India accurately predicts the locations of reported conflict. This model also points to imposed mixing or boundary clarification as mechanisms for promoting peace.

Language: en