Written in Blood: Ethnic Identity and the Struggle for Human Harmony

What are the roots of ethnic hatred? Is there nothing that can be done to eliminate, or at least control, this destructive force?
Professor Worchel addresses these questions by exploring the basic human needs to establish personal identity and to find meaning and order in life. He argues that ethnic identity forms the bedrock of self-identity, partly because individuals are born into an ethnic group that can never be changed. Unfortunately, because ethnicity is immutable, ultimate victory in ethnic conflict is genocide.
From this premise, Written in Blood examines the group and political forces that precipitate the collective action that ignites ethnic violence. He concludes that there is no “quick fix” to ethnic violence; the deep roots of ethnic hatred require a prescription that is both multidimensional and continual.