Paper short abstract:

Politicized territorial differences organize Senegalese university life but are not necessarily conflictual. Everyday social relations between students rather show a simultaneity of cooperation and conflict dynamics exceeding the politicization of territorial differences.

Paper long abstract:

The politicization of social differences shapes social relations and their conflict potential. But approaches to conflict resolution in divided societies predominantly focus on institutional “solutions” to such conflicts, while social relations and the variability of living politicized social differences in everyday interactions are neglected. However, a relational approach could allow for new insights regarding the meaning attributed to these differences in everyday encounters. The consideration of societies as deeply divided could therefore be replaced by an analytical approach that focuses on the relational expression of politicized social differences. In order to illustrate this conceptualization, I will draw empirically on the dynamics of cooperation and conflict surrounding the politicization of territorial differences in Senegalese universities. The territorial differences are marked by different politicization processes related to the organizational form of student associations, the influence of politicians on university life and the heritage of the separatist conflict in the Casamance region. But instead of being exclusively conflictual, the students show a strong solidarity and conviviality, as they actively cooperate in the creation of peaceful relationships across politicized differences. Based on these empirical insights, I argue that social relations provide the possibility of simultaneous dynamics of cooperation and conflict amidst the politicization of social differences.