The common social phenomenon in which disruptive interpersonal conflicts increasingly occur as the number of people in a society grows. Richard lee coined this term as result of observing the phenomenon among the ju/'hoansi of southwest africa. Band fissioning occurred before a community reached the full carrying capacity of the environment. Families decided to leave and form their own bands because the conflict settling mechanisms were not adequate to resolve differences. It was not food scarcity but, rather, social discord that was the cause of the break-up.