Goal Attainment Through Factionalism: A Guatemalan Case

Until recently, anthropologists have tended to stress the negative aspects of factionalism. In a northern Guatemalan town, San Andrés, factional conflicts have had positive consequences for the attainment of sectarian and community political goals. The starting point is an examination of the units between which conflict occurs, the factions. This approach directs attention to the functions factions may have for a social group. Three empirical factors appear responsible for the satisfaction of political demands in San Andrés: (a) the manner in which the factions, in the absence of durable political parties, organize conflict; (b) the absence of a dominant faction (or the dispersion of power) in the community; (c) the relative effectiveness of the local county government. It is suggested that varying combinations of these factors may help account for the variable consequences of factionalism. This paper also may have implications for community development research.