Conflict and Tension in Tribal Society

Tribalism has a very adaptive effect in human evolution Humans are social animals and ill equipped to live on their own Tribalism and ethnocentrism help to keep individuals committed to the group even when personal relations may fray This Keeps individuals would have a higher survival rate or at least with their higher commitment to the group more oppourtunities to breed.

In larger agriculture societies however this can become maladaptive Nations and empires force tribes and small groups into regular contact a novel situation in human evolution At the same time agricultural societies produce larger populations which can field larger armies while providing the material resources with which to arm and maintain those armies.Thus the natural tribalistic impulse becomes maladaptive in its new setting leading to ethnic or racially motivated conflict genocide and ethnic cleansing.