Using Global Simulation to Study Ethnic Conflict

Modern political science is dominated by quantitative methods and rational choice theory. However, ethnic conflict situations are often irrational, unquantifiable, highly unstable and unpredictable. Field investigations are likely to be out of the question for practical reasons. In this paper it is argued that the global simulation teaching method, introduced in France for language learning, has a valid application in political science. The Historical Development of Simulation Techniques Simulation games have a long history in the study of war. The Chinese war game of wei-hai, meaning encirclement, is estimated to have started in about 3000 BC and the Japanese game GO is a modern version of the same game. A problem with games is that there is competition that can be dominated by scoring mechanisms such that the players’ thoughts can become dominated by thoughts of winning or scoring so that wider educational objectives can become subverted (Jones, 1985: 4). In the 1930’s a growing interest in small group behaviour by psychiatrists, sociologists, and psychologists led to the use of role-play to help understand human behaviour and as