When Brother Becomes Other: Communitas and Conflict along the Camino de Santiago

Despite the widely held belief that pilgrimage fosters communitas—a sense of uninhibited community and mutual acceptance among participants—conflict frequently arises along the Camino de Santiago. This study challenges the notion that social differences dissolve during liminal experiences, demonstrating instead that they often persist or even intensify due to factors like personality clashes, cultural divergence, resource scarcity, or transformative stress. By analyzing scholarly accounts, popular narratives, and social science research, the article examines how such conflicts manifest within shared pilgrimage spaces and explores strategies—such as mindfulness practices—to cultivate communitas amid these tensions.

Havard, M. E. (2018). When Brother Becomes Other: Communitas and Conflict along the Camino de Santiago. Technological University Dublin. https://doi.org/10.21427/3AR4-SN61