The Tensions Between Research and Intervention in Intergroup Conflict

Abstract

One of the greatest problems facing the applied behavioral scientist is the conflict between intervening in a system in order to change it and collecting research data on the system and the impact of his intervention. The interventionist-as-researcher often experiences pressures from the system to ignore certain kinds of data, to avoid certain people, or to accept its own diagnosis of its problems and their solution. The researcher-as-interventionist must likewise deal with several problems: system members become' "subjects" rather than clients, unplanned interventions threaten the coherence of his research design, and field settings themselves often give rise to data collection and analysis difficulties. This case study reports an attempt to intervene in an intergroup relationship and explores two basic problems: the tensions between research and intervention, and the inadequacy of models of intervention into interpersonal conflict for effective management of intergroup conflict.