Fracturing Resemblances

The book examines how Western societies shape their notions of the 'individual' and ethnic identity through concepts of difference, impacting their understanding of social order and ethnic conflicts. By contrasting these constructs with Melanesian cultural identities developed since pre-colonial times, the author proposes that these identities should be understood as hidden similarities rather than differences. This perspective reveals how these underlying commonalities contribute to the persistence of social divisions and conflicts among groups.