Material Causes of Conflict (DP IB Global Politics: HL): Revision Note

Interests

• An interest-based conflict is disagreement between parties that arises from competing needs, desires or goals over resources, power or opportunities

  • They usually occur when the needs of a group of people are not being met

  • Most interest-based conflicts occur within a state

• It is important to remember that there can be multiple causes of any one conflict

• Many interest-based conflicts are not violent and can bring about positive change and justice

  1. Workers and their unions may demand better working conditions from the company that prioritises profit

  2. Civil society may organise a protest march to demand their schools receive more funding from local government

• Other interest-based conflicts can become violent, particularly if the group demanding change are not satisfied or if their demands are met with violence and conflict

Greed vs grievance 

• A key debate in the study of intrastate conflict is whether it is driven by greed or grievance

  • Greed refers to the desire for economic gain, particularly control over valuable resources

  • Grievance refers to a genuine concern, such as the failure of a government to meet the needs of its people

• This debate focuses on intrastate conflict

The greed argument

• Some theorists argue that intrastate conflicts may appear to be grievance-based on the surface, but closer analysis reveals economic gain as the main motivator

• Key questions

  • Will the conflict result in economic benefits for those involved?

  • Will it lead to control over valuable resources such as oil, minerals or land?

• Example: The conflict in Yemen has been linked to competition for control of oil and gas resources, suggesting economic interests play a significant role

  • However, it also involves deep political grievances, including the marginalisation of certain groups and the intervention of foreign powers

The grievance argument

• Other theorists argue that when a government fails to meet the needs of its people, through poverty, inequality or repression, conflict becomes inevitable

  • In this view, greed is not the primary cause; genuine injustice is

Theoretical perspectives

• Paul Collier argues that greed is the primary driver of intrastate conflict

  • Rebel groups are often motivated by the opportunity to seize control of valuable resources rather than by genuine political grievance

• Other theorists disagree, arguing that when a government fails to meet the needs of its people conflict becomes inevitable and grievance, not greed, is the root cause

• Many researchers argue that the greed vs grievance debate oversimplifies the reality of intrastate conflict; in practice, both causes are deeply interconnected

  • Intrastate conflict is too complex to be reduced to a single cause

  • Both greed and grievance typically operate together, shaping the motivations of different groups within the same conflict

Resources

• Resources include land, maritime rights, oil, minerals and other assets of strategic or economic value

  • Conflict can arise when resources are scarce or when the ownership of resources is disputed

• Competition for power and resources is the most common form of interest-based conflict driven by material gain rather than ideology or identity

  • However, most conflicts have multiple causes - resource competition is rarely the only factor

• Interest-based conflicts can occur:

  • between states (interstate conflict)

  • within a state, when armed groups or political actors challenge the government (intrastate conflict)

Examples of interest-based conflict

Russia-Ukraine war

• Widely considered to be primarily an interest-based conflict

• Ukraine holds significant strategic importance — including its location, access to ports and its agricultural and industrial resources

• Control of Ukrainian territory also has major implications for regional political power

Israel-Palestine conflict

• Also considered to be primarily an interest-based conflict

• At its core is a long-running dispute over land - who has the right to occupy and control the same territory