Conflict and the Social Bond (original) (raw)
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INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES IN PEACE STUDIES LEVELS OF ANALYSIS: FROM INDIVIDUAL TO GENERAL, 2020
Conflict resolution studies penetrate many areas of our lives. It cops with social and political interaction. Conflict of interest characterizes both individual and social groups. Some scientists claim that conflicts are an integral part of our lives as social creatures and therefore we must include them as a part of human nature development and progress. Others see that conflict is a temporary issue that will disappear with human future development progress. However, due to the different ontological approaches, there is the same ground for common points regarding the roots of conflicts they appear as ethnic, historical, political, economic, and many others. Beginning with the ancient Greek Philosophy and Mythology, through variable religious conceptions and ended with the newest research in philosophy, psychology, and political science. All of them questioned the nature of conflict and its resolution. Many fields of human wisdom agreed in their vision, that conflicts are an integral part of human nature (Plato, 2002; Plato, 1971). Nowadays, social sciences and other fields of research see conflict as a process of synthesis among contradicting factors, much like merging materials in the exact sciences. More than that psychological approach supports these findings with the claim that conflicts are being a part of our unconscious human perceptions (Adler, 1936; Adler, 2010; Freud, 1962, 1965, 1921; Marx, Engels, 1848; Ropers, 2002). In contrast with the past century humanistic approach nowadays centrality has been perceived by realistic thinkers. This perception sets new aims to find methodological and empirical tools for measuring and understanding conflicts and its resolution. Those concepts set as goals bring facts rather than giving a ruling concept or the perception of truth and justice. It is about investigating the phenomenon with various tools. Although a realistic approach provides an explanation and research tool, it is difficult to come up with solutions and sometimes it causes more complexibility in conflict. Therefore, the purpose of the present work is to choose a “third way” that presents a synthesis between realistic and idealistic conceptions as described in works of Pyotr Demianovich Ouspenskii, Nikolai Berdyaev, Emanuel Kant and many others (Berdyaev, 2002; Berdyaev, 2004; Ouspensky, 1922). There is no doubt that the current essay is not going to resolve or give pure answers, but extensive knowledge from multidisciplinary fields such as philosophy, social and natural sciences medicine, and psychology. The main goal of the integrated interdisciplinary approach is to provide a comprehensive and broad picture that will raise more questions than provide answers. In the breath of conception stands the assumption that conflicts are investigated as collision and as a phenomenon that requires interpretation. However, adherence is linked to creating reconciliation and transformation processes. Such perception appears in the works of great intellectuals such as Roberto Assagioli (1888- 1974), Italian psychiatrist and pioneer in the fields of humanistic and transpersonal psychology who discovers resolving human conflict as an individual, John Paul Lederach who explores group conflict and develops the basis for its transformation, Martin Liner, in his approach of creating learning groups on and many others. All of these settings as s central goal the understanding of conflict and its transformation into positive paths that will serve the good of the individual and the group. Therefore, this book presents those perceptions through qualitative and quantitative research, deep empirical and methodological understanding that serves the purpose of conflict transformation (CT) both on a personal and a group level. The review addresses and takes a source from the individual level through the psychosynthesis approach, and a group level through the perception of conflict transformation in Political and Social science research. The current work is co-creation of researchers from different fields in life and social sciences, medicine, clinical psychology, and philosophy. Such cooperation is set to form a foundation for further fertile research.
The course aims at presenting various approaches to explain reasons for violent conflict. It focuses on social and political violence, and their short and long-term effects on social development. The topics covered address why and how people turn to violence. They provide a map to conflicts and wars nationally and internationally. The course examines diverse research traditions to comprehend violence in a critical way. It looks at ideologies, social groups and social organizations that nurture the participation of individuals in violent actions. There will be two primary traditions that will be focused on; the first focuses on the “conditions” under which conflicts are produced and the second emphasizes the “attitudes” motivating individuals to engage in conflict. As each tradition possesses its own vocabulary, theoretical distinctions will aim at providing students with a broad spectrum of tools to comprehend the complex, paradoxical relationship between humans and war and violence. For example, though most world nations have ratified the International Bill of Human Rights, intra-state conflicts are an enduring reality.
Tracing the social dynamics of peace and conflict - Hewer (2012)
Social representations provide an underlying structure to the dynamics of peace and conflict. Culturally and temporally specific beliefs about the appropriate deployment of cultural and institutional power determine social and political action. Post-conflict, lay representations of people of other nations persist long after formal hostilities have ended and intra and inter-personal hostility maintained on the basis of collective memory and collective remembering is fuelled by the attribution of cause, agency and essentialism. To investigate their nature and composition, it may be useful to look beyond the mainstream political and cultural sphere and investigate the populist world of comedy, humour, sport and children's play. Social psychology and conflict have a long association! The atrocities committed across Europe that came to light at the end of the Second World War provided a strong impetus for social psychological enquiry. Indeed, the combined work of Adorno et al., Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo and Tajfel arguably comprised an intellectual and emotional response to the events of the Nazi period: each an expression of a desire to understand the psychological roots of the Holocaust.
Whether dealing with reintegration, disarmament, development or peace negotiations, the peacebuilding discourse has moved beyond mere interventions at a 'ripe' point in time, towards being recognized as complex processes of promoting constructive social change. Furthermore, due to effects of increased trans-border activity and the emergence of 'new wars', the international community is finding it harder to engage in 'positive peacebuilding', distinguishing perpetrators from victims and locating the core of violence and conflict. Lessons learned from e.g. Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine and Sri Lanka depict the 'shadow side' of peacebuilding operations aiming to put in action thoroughly designed plans for achieving a relative peace. This essay will argue that it is this 'liberal peace' itself that contributes to the continuation of 'cultures of violence', which in turn embraces all actors involved in the peace building process. In order to further this point, the essay will first make an inquiry into the very nature of violence itself and its manifestations in wider society and culture. Different forms of violence such as 'direct', 'structural' and 'cultural' will be underlined in order to reveal the complex workings of violence on all levels of a society and permeates all levels of international peace-building. The essay will then address the relative impact of violent groups on the process and examine to what extent their inclusion in the peace process will determine the final outcome. The analysis will to show that the discourse of peacebuilding is not violent because of its cooperation with violent groups, destructive functions and manifestations, but rather because of the violence inherent in the system within which all actors operate.
Community Reconciliation: The Wounds of War and the Praxis of Healing
Broader Perspectives on Aggression, Violence, and Terrorism, 2014
Conflict, Violence, Terrorism and their Prevention provides an inter-disciplinary and global perspective on aspects of aggression and violence. It explores the individual, group, and international processes and conditions by which violent conflict occurs. It shows the wide range and diffuse nature of contemporary violence and the need to approach it from many disciplines. The book also examines some multi-faceted solutions and responses to conflict. The optimistic conclusion from this work is that there are concrete and specific ways to address conflict and violence. Violence is neither inevitable nor innately determined. These 13 well-researched chapters use a variety of empirical and theoretical approaches drawn from psychology, political science, and anthropology. Its topics include terrorism, education, peace studies, and conflict resolution. Experts from eight countries share their findings and offer a comprehensive overview of violence and responses to it. The book builds on current thinking regarding causal factors, such as inequality, exclusion, lack of opportunity, or grievance. It broadens the conceptualization of the phenomena and links it with tangible measures that reduce conflict and promote peace. This book is an important source for researchers and students of conflict, violence, and peace. It is accessible to anyone with broad interests in studying aggressive behavior and methods of reducing it."
"Undeclared Wars" - Exploring a Peacebuilding Approach to Armed Social Violence
In some countries, more civilians are being killed by armed gangs and criminal organisations than in traditional combat. Still, these pockets of armed social violence – "undeclared wars" marked, among other things, by criminal, gang and/or urban violence as well as extremist violence – have long received much less attention than politically motivated forms of armed conflicts. As their effects — social-political destabilisation, in some cases coinciding with high numbers of victims — are becoming more pressing, national and international actors have begun addressing the phenomenon. In this 12th Berghof Handbook Dialogue, the authors of the lead article, Bernardo Arévalo de León and Ana Glenda Tager, argue that the inclusive and participatory methodologies offered by peacebuilding provide an operational strategy that would allow the international community to engage successfully with issues of armed social violence.Five sets of respondents explore the actors, factors and dynamics of violence in different settings (among them Colombia, the UK, Nigeria, Mexico, Myanmar and Guinea-Bissau). They debate issues as diverse as the inter-connectedness of political, social and private violence, the need to work closely with government agencies, civil society and agents of violence, as well as the merits of specific participatory methodologies. They discuss what peacebuilding and other initiatives have achieved, and where they have fallen short. The Dialoge is rounded out by an introduction by the editors and a "response to the respondents by the lead authors". The Dialogue Series is an offshoot of the Berghof Handbook for Conflict Transformation. Each topic in the series is chosen because it is particularly relevant to societies in conflict and the practice of conflict transformation, and because it raises important issues at the present time. In each Dialogue, practitioners and scholars critically engage and debate in light of their experience. Typically, a Dialogue includes one lead article from key experts, and several commentaries from practitioners and others. Rather than presenting a single analysis, these practitioner-scholar encounters stimulate debate, integrating different perspectives, challenging prevailing views and comparing research findings with experiences and insights on the ground. Importantly, Dialogues, as works of broad relevance, are distributed in print version (to order a hardcopy, visit http://www.berghof-foundation.org/shop/) as well as online. We invite readers to respond to the papers (as to all articles). Interesting and original contributions can be added to the web version of the Dialogue. Please contact us at handbook@berghof-foundation.org.