Theoretical Discourse on Sedentary Farmers and Fulani Pastoralists’ Conflict

This paper examined theoretical discourse of sedentary farmers and Fulani pastoralists’ conflict. The methodological context of the paper is based on documentary analysis. The basic assumptions of conflict theory include human are self-interested; societies operate under perpetual scarcity of resources; conflict is pervasive and unavoidable within social group; struggle and crisis lead to some people and groups controlling and dominating others; and dominated groups disproportionately influence resources allocations and social structures. Conflict theory has been attacked for being too politicized and ignores how different social institutions such as family, education etc provides essential functions in modern society and work together to create equilibrium. Despite the weaknesses of conflict theory, frustration-aggression theory a variant of conflict theory assumes that aggressive behaviour is always caused by frustration and that individual always responds to stressful events by striking out at others with aggressive behaviour. It therefore provides an understanding of the dynamic of conflict between sedentary farmers and Fulani because interpersonal cause of frustration, one of the root causes of frustration is competition between groups. In addition, the goals and expectations are among the causes of frustration and that a goal has to be personally important if the blockage of the achievement is to evoke negative effect hence the emergence of conflict between sedentary farmers and Fulani pastoralists. Furthermore, it is not only the disputants who usually cause frustration, some well-to-do individuals or selfish co-operators also generate frustration as the detrimental behaviour which may prevent individuals from achieving their objectives. Furthermore, social conflict occurs as a result of frustration. This situation could be observed in a situation where the needs of individuals are denied overtly, as the impact of the way society is structured, organized and classified. This issue motivates individuals to express their grievances through violent or non-violent ways. Conflict between sedentary farmers and Fulani pastoralists serve as a good example in which frustration leads to aggression. Therefore, Fulani pastoralists as a group in the society damages sedentary farmers’ farm land because they also need pastures and water which sedentary farmers also as a social group blocks that lead to the conflict between land resource users. The relevance of social conflict theory is that it encapsulates concept of conflict reduction a mechanism for managing crises between sedentary farmers and Fulani pastoralists through the assistance of the third party as the mediators.