Social Psychological Dimensions of Conflict: Additional Resources

These references supplement the Knowledge Base Essay, Social Psychological Dimensions of Conflict.

Additional Explanations of the Underlying Concepts:

Online (Web) Sources

Glaser, Tanya. "Anger and Retaliation in Conflict -- Summary." University of Colorado-Boulder: Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado-Boulder: Conflict Research Consortium, 2000.
Available at: Link

This summary covers the chapter entitled, "Anger and Retaliation in Conflict," in Part Two of The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice, edited by Morton Deutsch and Peter T. Coleman.

Glaser, Tanya. "Judgmental Biases in Conflict Resolution and How to Overcome Them -- Summary." University of Colorado-Boulder: Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado-Boulder: Conflict Research Consortium, 2000.
Available at: Link

This summary covers the chapter entitled, "Judgmental Biases in Conflict Resolution and How to Overcome Them," in Part Two of The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice, edited by Morton Deutsch and Peter T. Coleman.

Lake, David A. and Donald S. Rothchild. "Ethnic Fears and Global Engagement: The International Spread and Management of Ethnic Conflict." , January 1996
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

The Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation's (IGCC) project on the International Spread and Management of Ethnic Conflict was formed and designed to address concerns about the escalation and spread of transnational ethnic conflict, particularly in Eastern Europe. This paper attemtps to answer two central questions: 1) How, why, and when do ethnic conflicts spread across national borders?; 2) How can such transnational ethnic conflicts best be managed?

Williams, Dai. "Fear and Violence in Stressed Populations: Stress, Violence and Peace in the Balkans." , April 27, 1999
Available at: http://www.eoslifework.co.uk/gturmap.htm  [Backup Link]

Using charts and descriptions, this article discusses the psychological impacts of living in conflict situations.

Jarman, Roswitha. "Healing as Part of Conflict Transformation." CCTS Newsletter, Number 12, Spring 2001 , 2001
Available at: http://www.c-r.org/ccts/ccts12/healing.htm  [Backup Link]

This article explores how outsiders coming in to war-torn regions can contribute to healing the personal and interpersonal hurt of individuals and groups and thereby contribute to the process of conflict transformation.

Lindner, Evelin Gerda. "Humiliation: Trauma That Has Been Overlooked: An Analysis Based on Fieldwork in Germany, Rwanda / Burundi, and Somalia." Traumatology , March 2001
Available at: http://www.fsu.edu/%7Etrauma/v7/Humiliation.pdf  [Backup Link]

This article explores what differentiates trauma from humiliation. It is argued that trauma may occur without humiliation, but that humiliation may be a core agent of trauma. Moreover, the paper suggests that the significance of humiliation in traumatic experiences has long been overlooked by researchers and practitioners.

Yagcioglu, Dimostenis. "Psychological Explanations of Conflicts Between Ethnocultural Minorities and Majorities: An Overview." , 1996
Available at: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8945/sycho.html  [Backup Link]

This article outlines three psychological theories that were employed most extensively to explain ethnocultural majority-minority conflicts. After a critical evaluation through which the power and weaknesses of each of the three approaches are identified, the article examines the insights offered by cognitive psychological approaches to minority-majority conflicts, presents several conflict resolution practices and suggestions that are derived from all four theories, and concludes by emphasizing that any psychological approach should be used in conjunction with approaches from other disciplines, in multidisciplinary efforts to analyze and handle such conflicts.

Social Psychological Aspects of Peacebuilding.
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]
This page presents a general discussion of the importance of examining social psychological impacts of conflict on individuals and society. It is argued that if psychology drives the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and their collectivities, then emphasis must be placed on understanding the psychology of conflict and its consequences. This page includes discussions of identity, perceptions, and trauma and healing.

Offline (Print) Sources

Lederach, John Paul. Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies. Herndon, VA: USIP Press, December 1997.
Marrying wisdom, insight, and passion, Lederach explains why we need to move beyond "traditional" diplomacy, which often emphasizes top-level leaders and short-term objectives, toward a holistic approach that stresses the multiplicity of peacemakers, long-term perspectives, and the need to create an infrastructure that empowers resources within a society and maximizes contributions from outside. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Brockner, Joel and Jeffrey Z. Rubin. Entrapment in Escalating Conflicts. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1985.
This work is a social-psychological investigation into the phenomena of entrapment. The authors attempt to synthesize findings from a number of studies into a general account of entrapment. Entrapment in Escalating Conflicts will be of interest to those who seek a better theoretical understanding of the factors and processes which produce entrapment, and promote conflict escalation. This work is divided into eleven chapters, with subject and author indices. Primary Link

Ward, Andrew and Lee Ross. "Naive Realism in Everyday Life: Implications for Social Conflict and Misunderstanding." In Values and Knowledge. Edited by Reed, Edward, Elliot Turiel and Terrance Brown, eds. Lawrence Erlbaum Association, February 1997.
This paper examines the impacts of subjective interpretation and the limits of social perception on social conflict. The basic argument is that people are generally naive in their belief that their personal judgement of a situation or another person, is accurate and would be agreeable to others. It follows then that this trait tends to result in misunderstandings and social conflict. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Druckman, Daniel. "Nationalism, Patriotism, and Group Loyalty: A Social Psychological Perspective." Mershon International Studies Review 38, 1994.

Zartman, I. William. "Prenegotiation: Phases and Functions." In Getting to the Table: The Process of International Prenegotiation. Edited by Stein, Janice Gross, ed. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989.

Lewin, Gertrud Weiss, ed. Resolving Social Conflicts. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1948.
Resolving Social Conflicts is a collection of early essays exploring the relationship between individuals, groups, and the process of conflict, from a social psychological perspective. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Kelman, Herbert C. "Social-Psychological Dimensions of International Conflict." In Peacemaking in International Conflicts: Methods and Techniques. Edited by Zartman, I. William and J. Lewis Rasmussen, eds. Herndon, VA: USIP Press, August 1, 1997.
This chapter offers a social-psychological perspective on the analysis and resolution of internaional conflict. It is based in social-psychological theory and research and is argued to offer a very different take than more traditional, structural or strategic approaches to analyzing international conflict. Although it may reveal aspects that are not revealed by other approaches, the social-psychological perspective is meant to complement, not replace other approaches.

Feld, Werner J. and Gavin Boyd, eds. Social-Psychological Factors in Regional Politics. New York: Pergamon Press, 1980.

Fisher, Ronald J. "Social-Psychological Processes in Interactive Conflict Analysis and Reconciliation." In Conflict Resolution: Dynamics, Process and Structure. Edited by Jeong, Ho-Won, ed. Brookfield, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 1999.
This chapter outlines the social-psychological premise and the author's vision of Interactive Conflict Resolution (ICR), which is a method of problem-solving third party intervention. The ultimate goal of ICR is complete reconciliation of the conflicting parties, with all of their basic human needs and concerns addressed.

Pruitt, Dean G., Jeffrey Z. Rubin and Sung Hee Kim. Social Conflict: Escalation, Stalemate, and Settlement, 2nd Edition. New York: McGraw Hill College Division, January 1, 1994.
This work explores the dynamics of conflict escalation, focusing on tactical considerations of conflict strategies and their potential outcomes. Primary Link

Coser, Lewis A. The Functions of Social Conflict. New York: Free Press, 1964.
This is a theoretical work focusing on the social-psychological dimensions of social conflict. The author discusses a variety of issues related to group identity.

Hopmann, P. Terrance. The Negotiation Process and the Resolution of International Conflicts, Reprint Edition. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1998.
This work argues that diplomacy will increasingly replace military action as a means for resolving conflicts in the post-Cold War era. The author reviews a vast array of literature on the subject and presents a framework for abalyzing the many dimensions of international negotiations. At their core, negotiation and diplomacy are psychological exercises.

Deutsch, Morton. The Resolution of Conflict: Constructive and Destructive Processes. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1973.
A classic in the field of the social-psychology of conflict, this work provides a set of theoretical essays and research papers that deal with the nature of conflict and discuss various strategies for resolving conflict. Throughout the book, Deutsch focuses heavily on the concepts of cooperation, competition, and trust in explicating constructive and destructive conflict resolution processes. Primary Link

Fisher, Ronald J. The Social Psychology of Intergroup Conflict and International Conflict Resolution. New York, NY: Spring-Verlag, January 1990.
The Social Psychology of Inter-group and International Conflict Resolution explores the "causation, escalation, de-escalation, and resolution" of inter-group conflicts from the perspective of social-psychology. Primary Link

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Examples Illustrating this Topic:

Offline (Print) Sources

Allred, Keith G. "Anger and Retaliation in Conflict: The Role of Attribution." In The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. Edited by Deutsch, Morton and Peter T. Coleman, eds. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
Allred looks at the role of attribution in the conflict/anger cycle, pointing out that the way in which we see others affects our tendency to feel anger. By understanding the process of attribution (or what intentions and feelings we attribute to others) we can take steps towards overcoming our anger.

Fitzduff, Mari. Beyond Violence: Conflict Resolution Processes in Northern Ireland. Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University Press, 2002.
In this book, author Mari Fitzduff discusses the various conflict resolution processes that helped de-escalate the conflict in Northern Ireland. This work provides on outline of the conflict itself as well as outlining conflict initiatives in the fields of equality, diversity, security work, and political and community dialogue. While emphasizing the complexity of resolving a conflict such as that in Northern Ireland, the nature of the resolution processes employed highlights the importance of addressing social-psychological aspects of the conflict. Primary Link

Kelman, Herbert C. "Israelis and Palestinians: Psychological Prerequisites for Mutual Acceptance." International Security 3:1, 1978.

Chaiken, Shelly L. "Persuasion in Negotiations and Conflict Situations." In The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. Edited by Deutsch, M. and Peter T. Coleman, eds. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000.
This chapter focuses on the aspects of persuasion and attitude change in negotiation, bargaining, and conflict resolution.

Coleman, Peter T. "Power and Conflict." In The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice,. Edited by Deutsch, Morton and Peter T. Coleman, eds. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
This chapter aims to improve understanding of the relationship between power and conflict. The author discusses various conceptions and typologies of power and offers a working definition of power. Coleman then discusses how certain personal and situational factors affect peoples' responses to power in social relations. Lastly, he considers how those ideas are relevant to conflict resolution, describing the tendencies and strategies used by members of groups with varying degrees of power when they are faced with conflict.

Silove, Derrick, Solvig Ekblad and Richard Mollica. "The Rights of the Severely Mentally Ill in Post-conflict Societies." The Lancet 355, April 29, 2000.

Lewicki, Roy J. and Carolyn Wiethoff. "Trust, Trust Development and Trust Repair." In The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. Edited by Deutsch, Morton and Peter T. Coleman, eds. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000.
This chapter integrates prior theoretical work on trust development with the multidimensional view of trust, which posits that trust and distrust can coexist within relationships. A series of implications for relationship management are discussed.

Long, William J. and Peter Brecke. War and Reconciliation: Reason and Emotion in Conflict Resolution. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, January 17, 2003.
This work offers a systematic examination of the impact of reconciliation on restoring and maintaining peace following civil and international conflicts. The book presents eleven comparative case studies of civil war and eight of international conflict. Based on these cases, the authors offer an interesting social-psychological explanation for when and why reconciliation restores social order.

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Audiovisual Materials on this Topic:

Offline (Print) Sources

Ethnic Notions. Directed and/or Produced by: Riggs, Marlon. California Newsreel. 1987.
This documentary film brings to light the social and psychological effects that decades of dehumanizing stereotypes have had US minority populations. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

First Kill. Directed and/or Produced by: Schrijber, Coco. First Run Icarus Films. 2001.
This film explores the psychological and emotional effects of war on humans. More specifically, it interviews veterans in its efforts to understand the seductive power of war, and the complexity of emotions that war and killing bring to those involved. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask . Directed and/or Produced by: Julien, Issac. California Newsreel. 1996.
This is a film biography of Frantz Fanon. Fanon's two major works, Black Skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth, were pioneering studies of the psychological impact of racism on both colonized and colonizer. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

No More Hiroshima! . Directed and/or Produced by: Duckworth, Martin. First Run Icarus Films. 1984.
This film follows two Hiroshima survivors in their quest to promote peace. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Race - The Power of an Illusion . Directed and/or Produced by: Adelman, Larry. California Newsreel. 2003.
This four part series destroys the myth of race. It shows that race has no biological basis, rather that it only has societal consequences. The article exposes the social psychological underpinnings of the concept of race and how it contributes to socially constructed inequality and conflict. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Scars of Memory / Cicatriz de la Memoria . Directed and/or Produced by: Gould, Jeffrey and Carlos Henriquez Consalvi. First Run Icarus Films. 2002.
This film documents the testimonies of numerous Salvadorians who survived the 1932 brutal mass murder of thousands of peasant dissenters. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

The Bombing . Directed and/or Produced by: Bitton, Simone. First Run Icarus Films. 1999.
In its quest to understand and address the issue of suicide bombings, this film through the use of interviews with both the suicide bombers' families and the victims' families, hunts for the motivates that propel individuals to engage in this type of violence. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

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