Intertribal Border Market Study

The intertribal border markets- to mean both tangible and intangible expression to principles of social structure binding communities to a holistic system through human relations in time and space. We consider a ‘market’ to represent both spatial space and a set of norms, institutions and value system upon which individuals, groups or states transact conflict and peace. We believe the dynamics intertribal markets reflects the societal set up. Unlike the family unit of the society which is a simple functional unit, the market is a complex representation of the society. It is complex both structurally and functionally. In my lab, we seek to understand how individuals, groups or therefore states in different space and time integrate or disintegrate from each other.

For this purpose, we study and measure closeness centrality, which is the basic structure of relationship. Closeness centrality can be regarded as the network powerhouse of the society or state and thus are crucial for understanding how strong or weak closeness between states, individual or group is and ultimately encoding and decoding of conflict scenarios. One of the issues my lab is focusing on is to determine the role of closeness centrality in evolution of conflict- both ethnic and interstate. This approach is unique in that it interrogates the ‘collectivist theorem’ against the novel quasi-experimental techniques to make determination as to whether collectivism leads to peace or not and therefore how individualist theorem offers alternative explanation.

We use diverse methods- quasi-experiments, computer modelling and observational techniques to get insight into these complex, intricate intertribal market structures and functions.

We believe that understating how intertribal markets work is essential for understanding and predicting how conflict occurs, patterns, and how it can be resolved in time and space.