Menu Shortcut Page Identity is one of several fundamental human needs that underlie many intractable conflicts. Human needs theorists argue that conflicts over needs are fundamentally different from conflicts over interests, because interests are negotiable, whereas needs are not. One of the most common types of needs conflicts are conflicts over identity. One's sense of self is so fundamental and so important, not only to one's self-esteem but also to how one interprets the rest of the world, that any threat to identity is likely to produce a strong response. Typically, this response is both aggressive and defensive, and can escalate quickly into an intractable conflict.
Identity is the primary issue in most racial and ethnic conflicts.
Identity conflicts can be especially difficult to resolve. In addition, sitting down with the opponent can be seen as a threat to one's own identity, so even beginning efforts at reconciliation can be extremely difficult. Nevertheless, identity conflicts can be moderated, or even reconciled if the parties want such an outcome and are willing to work for it over a long period of time. This is a summary of one of the leading recent books on identity conflicts . In this article, Touval examines the reasons why preventive diplomacy failed in the case of the former Yugoslavia.