How do conflicts escalate? This is one of the major questions in conflict research. To offer further answers, Richard Bösch follows a tripartite agenda: First, he develops a constructivist methodology for the study of conflict escalation embedded in a Luhmannian systems theoretical world society perspective. Bösch argues that conflicts can be observed as social systems and he looks at the process of conflict escalation by analysing communication. Second, this analysis offers two case studies: the Maidan protests in Ukraine 2013-2014 and Mali's crisis 2010-2012. Third, it gives insights on how systems theoretical research can be beneficial for Peace and Conflict Studies.
By bringing into dialogue modern systems theory and international relations, this text provides theoretically innovative and empirically rich perspectives on conflicts in world society. This collection contrasts Niklas Luhmann’s theory of world society in modern systems theory with more classical approaches to the study of conflicts, offering a fresh perspective on territorial conflicts in international relations. It includes chapters on key issues such as: conflicts and human rights conflicts in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa war and violence Greek-Turkish relations conflict theory the role of states in world societal conflicts legal territorial disputes in Australia hegemony and conflict in global law conflict management after 9/11. While all contributions draw from the theory of world society in modern systems theory, the authors offer rich multi-disciplinary perspectives which bring in concepts from international relations, peace and conflict studies, sociology, law and philosophy. Territorial Conflicts in World Society will appeal to international relations specialists, peace and conflict researchers and sociologists.
The end of the Cold War has changed the shape of organized violence in the world and the ways in which governments and others try to set its limits. Even the concept of international conflict is broadening to include ethnic conflicts and other kinds of violence within national borders that may affect international peace and security. What is not yet clear is whether or how these changes alter the way actors on the world scene should deal with conflict: Do the old methods still work? Are there new tools that could work better? How do old and new methods relate to each other? International Conflict Resolution After the Cold War critically examines evidence on the effectiveness of a dozen approaches to managing or resolving conflict in the world to develop insights for conflict resolution practitioners. It considers recent applications of familiar conflict management strategies, such as the use of threats of force, economic sanctions, and negotiation. It presents the first systematic assessments of the usefulness of some less familiar approaches to conflict resolution, including truth commissions, "engineered" electoral systems, autonomy arrangements, and regional organizations. It also opens up analysis of emerging issues, such as the dilemmas facing humanitarian organizations in complex emergencies. This book offers numerous practical insights and raises key questions for research on conflict resolution in a transforming world system.
A standard text on social conflict, which covers key research in the field. This edition has been updated and rewritten, with new co-author Sung Hee Kim, and now emphasizes cross-cultural conflict and includes recent research in conflict escalation, stalemate, negotiation and settlement.
Praise for The Handbook of Conflict Resolution "This handbook is a classic. It helps connect the research of academia to the practical realities of peacemaking and peacebuilding like no other. It is both comprehensive and deeply informed on topics vital to the field like power, gender, cooperation, emotion, and trust. It now sits prominently on my bookshelf." —Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate "The Handbook of Conflict Resolution offers an astonishing array of insightful articles on theory and practice by leading scholars and practitioners. Students, professors, and professionals alike can learn a great deal from studying this Handbook." —William Ury, Director, Global Negotiation Project, Harvard University; coauthor, Getting to Yes and author, The Third Side "Morton Deutsch, Peter Coleman, and Eric Marcus put together a handbook that will be helpful to many. I hope the book will reach well beyond North America to contribute to the growing worldwide interest in the constructive resolution of conflict. This book offers instructive ways to make this commitment a reality." —George J. Mitchell, Former majority leader of the United States Senate; former chairman of the Peace Negotiations in Northern Ireland and the International Fact-Finding Committee on Violence in the Middle East; chairman of the board, Walt Disney Company; senior fellow at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University "Let's be honest. This book is just too big to carry around in your hand. But that's because it is loaded with the most critical essays linking the theory and practice of conflict resolution. The Handbook of Conflict Resolution is heavy on content and should be a well-referenced resource on the desk of every mediator—as it is on mine." —Johnston Barkat, Assistant Secretary-General, Ombudsman and Mediation Services, United Nations
This book explores the challenges of conflict resolution in protracted conflicts and conceptualises and analyses the practice of engagement without recognition in de facto states. Increasingly, engagement without recognition is seen as a promising approach to conflict resolution in de facto states, but little is known about its implementation and results. This book addresses that lacuna and develops an analytical model to assess international engagement, focusing on implementation on the ground. This model enables a comprehensive analysis of international engagement's scope, areas, and methods. Further, the book also explores the context of engagement in de facto states, which has a significant impact on its implementation and results. In this way, the book also advances our understanding of the opportunities, obstacles, and limitations of engagement without recognition. The analysis is based on the current EU engagement in Abkhazia and draws from other cases in the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and beyond and finds that international engagement with de facto states is more comprehensive and multifaceted than previously known. However, it also faces some distinct challenges and produces modest results. Finally, the book provides practical recommendations on how to better utlilise the peacebuilding potential of engagement without recognition. This book will be of much interest to students of conflict resolution, statehood, peace and conflict studies, and international relations.
Make workplace conflict resolution a game that EVERYBODY wins! Recent studies show that typical managers devote more than a quarter of their time to resolving coworker disputes. The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games offers a wealth of activities and exercises for groups of any size that let you manage your business (instead of managing personalities). Part of the acclaimed, bestselling Big Books series, this guide offers step-by-step directions and customizable tools that empower you to heal rifts arising from ineffective communication, cultural/personality clashes, and other specific problem areas—before they affect your organization's bottom line. Let The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games help you to: Build trust Foster morale Improve processes Overcome diversity issues And more Dozens of physical and verbal activities help create a safe environment for teams to explore several common forms of conflict—and their resolution. Inexpensive, easy-to-implement, and proved effective at Fortune 500 corporations and mom-and-pop businesses alike, the exercises in The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games delivers everything you need to make your workplace more efficient, effective, and engaged.
This major Handbook is a collection of work from leading scholars in the Conflict Analysis and Resolution (CAR) field. The central theme is the value of interdisciplinary approaches to the analysis and resolution of conflicts.
Offering unique coverage of an emerging, interdisciplinary area, this comprehensive handbook examines the theoretical underpinnings and emergent conceptions of intercultural mediation in related fields of study. Authored by global experts in fields from intercultural communication and conflict resolution to translation studies, literature, political science, and foreign language teaching, chapters trace the history, development, and present state of approaches to intercultural mediation. The sections in this volume show how the concept of intercultural mediation has been constructed among different fields and shaped by its specific applications in an open cycle of influence. The book parses different philosophical conceptions as well as pragmatic approaches, providing ample grounding in the key perspectives on this growing field of discourse. The Routledge Handbook of Intercultural Mediation is a valuable reference for graduate and postgraduate students studying mediation, conflict resolution, intercultural communication, translation, and psychology, as well as for practitioners and researchers in those fields and beyond.
