PERSPECTIVES ON CONFLICT AND POST CONFLICT (original) (raw)
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Political Science 577 Theories of Conflict
This course examines the literature on conflict that has developed in the last decade. We will examine recent formal literature as well as the latest substantive (nonformal) literature on conflict. The course will help graduate students identify the broad direction of international conflict studies and will also permit graduate students to pursue topics or ideas of their own interest. To that end, we set aside time for "model building sessions"where students can explore approaches to formalize some of the ideas in the substantive literature, or explore extensions of the current formal literature. We will devote one whole class at the end of the semester to such a model building session and around the mid-way point of the course take about half of one class to such a model building session . Much of the course revolves around the student led discussions, so we expect students to be prepared and fully participate. Students should have taken or be concurrently taking PSC 584 or have an equivalent knowledge of complete and incomplete information game theory.
Critical Review essay #3 (IR).pdf
A Critical Review Essay Main Themes-According to Donnelly, realists emphasize that politics is constrained by human selfishness [egoism] and there is an absence of international government [anarchy]. (p. 32) With anarchy, states are able to behave the same way that individuals do without restraint of hierarchical political rule, expressing the worst aspects of human nature. War and conflict, to classical realists, stem from human nature. (p. 33) Realists vary along a continuum of how
2008
Resolution have also proven most useful. Given this extensive overview of Burton's output, we are able to provide an historically-situated exposition of the development of his work. Also, the literature dealing with South Africa's history of conflict, and the transitional passage to democracy, including pre-negotiation conflict resolution initiatives, the National Peace Accord, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, will be engaged, within the context of violence and negotiations. Again, although reference is made to general historical and sociological source material, the dominant authors consulted will be those working within the conflict resolution paradigm. Primary source material including newspaper reports and reports of individuals involved in resolution processes will also be accessed. Additionally, original documentation, such as the minutes of meetings, reports and personal communications will be used. Newspaper articles, though primary sources in respect of certain events that form part of the study, are often quite unreliable, sometimes presenting slanted versions or explanations of events. In this regard, the journal articles are regarded as more reliable, and will provide the mainstay of the information used. The literature will also be scanned for evidence of resolution in the current situation in South Africa. A number of opinion surveys on the state of social CHAPTER THREE : THEORETICAL OVERVIEW The history of humankind and the rise and fall of civilizations is unquestionably a story of conflict. Conflict is inherent in human activities. It is omnipresent and foreordained. (Isard, 1992:1) What's effectively needed is a ramified, penetrative perception of the present, one that makes it possible to locate the lines of weakness, the strong points ... In other words, a topological and geological survey of the battlefield-that is the intellectual's role (Foucault, 1977). 3.1 12 The negative and positive aspects of social conflict are well captured in Rubin, Pruitt and Kin 1994. Social Conflict: Escalation Stalemates and Settlement (7-9). 13 See for instance the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict (1997) report on the scale of poorly managed conflict in the period following the end of the Cold War. See also the introduction of Van de Goor,L., Rupesinghe, K., and Sciarone, P., (eds), 1996, for an overview of the destructiveness of conflict inter and intra-national conflict in the early Nineties 28 lead to a lack of innovation and societal stagnation. The same would hold for conflict in organizational or family settings. There can therefore be no doubt that the pursuit of a scientific understanding of conflict is an important goal of social inquiry, as such an improved understanding would undoubtedly assist us in the improved prediction of episodes of conflict and its management or resolution. Before proceeding with an excursion through the various approaches to and a definitional unpackaging of the study of conflict, it will be useful to establish, in broad terms, the multifaceted nature of the phenomenon, using a model developed by the author, in 1992. 3.3 The Bases of Social Conflict Conflict in society has many bases, or causes. It may be based on value differences, clashes of interests, unfulfilled needs, misinformation, past relationships, or structural situations, or any combination of these. We will deal with each of these separately below. 3.3.1 Value-based conflict: Origins of conflict are often to be found in the fact that different people hold different values. These values may be of a religious nature, or they may be political, or ideological. In this way, capitalists may clash with communists, or Muslims with Hindus or Christians. Many of the ongoing social conflicts in the world are based on value conflicts. Such conflict is notoriously difficult to manage, due to the zero-sum nature of many value systems. 3.3.2 Interest-based conflict: Much social conflict is based on the fact that most of the material requirements of human beings are in great demand, and there is only a limited supply. Demand
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.
Ideas Of Human Nature in Contemporary Conflict Resolution Theory
Negotiation Journal, 1990
A quick overview of the developing field of conflict resolution would draw attention to the sources from which it has arisen and its shared positions, arguments, and controversies. A strong impetus toward contributing to the solution of seemingly intractable and violent conflict situations, combined with a profound skepticism about the ability of ordinary social science to offer much in this area, has led many scholars to attempt to create a new interdisciplinary field in which an effective practice and a powerful theory would emerge together. These scholars have tended to come particularly from social science disciplines such as international relations, peace research (itself closely related to history and sociology), and social psychology. The current state of conflict resolution theory and practice reflects the diverse backgrounds of those who have been drawn together to invent it. Not surprisingly, the impulse toward activism and the dissatisfaction with standard social science have not in themselves comprised enough common ground to allow an uncontentious development of theory and practice. Some of the most important conceptual issues that trouble the field seem to be: (1) The special characteristics of "deep-rooted" conflict and thus the relationship of conflict resolution to conflict management (or settlement), particularly in the burgeoning Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) movement. (2) The idea of ''empowerment;' which relates to the possibility and/or desirability, in the negotiating room, of excluding (or redressing) power differences among the parties to the conflict. (3) The possibilities for ''generic theory;' that is the discovery of theory productive of propositions valid across all levels of conflict-from marital discord to international war.