Intergroup Positioning in Peace Negotiations: The Bangsamoro Peace Talks in the Philippines

A major challenge for research and practicing psychologists is to better understand and help solve intergroup conflicts, including in non-Western societies. This study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to explore intergroup dynamics between the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, as they attempt to reach a peace pact. The utterances of both parties, as found in the media, were text mined, then analyzed qualitatively through the application of Positioning Theory. Mathematical models successfully classified statements that belong to the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Principal components analyses show the Philippine government as highlighting the importance of a legislated final peace agreement that is faithful to the Philippine constitution, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as underscoring the establishment of a Bangsamoro state. Qualitative analysis complements the mathematically derived themes as results consistently show the two negotiating parties underlining different sentiments. The Philippine government positions itself as a pursuer of peace for the Filipinos, while the Moro rebel group positions itself as a champion of peace for the Bangsamoro. Findings demonstrate the illustrative power of mixed methods and the potency of Positioning Theory in explaining intergroup relations and intergroup dialogue.