The Handbook of Conflict Resolution

PREFACE

The field of conflict resolution continues to develop rapidly. As a consequence, we have updated and revised the second edition of this Handbook. Almost all of the chapters in the second edition have been updated; in some, the revisions have been extensive, and in others, only minor changes seemed necessary. Also, we have added new chapters on topics that were not covered or needed more coverage than they received in the first two editions. Given the scope of growth in the field, we have expanded the book considerably. And in order to make this expansion more cost effective for the readership, we have developed a new online section of the book.

The new chapters for this edition have an asterisk next to them in the Contents. They are important, original contributions to the field of conflict resolution by outstanding scholars and practitioners, as are the updated chapters from the first two editions.

In the Preface to the first edition, we characterized the purpose of the Handbook, its organization, professional value, and orientation. This book is meant for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the processes involved in conflicts and their knowledge of how to manage them constructively. It provides the theoretical underpinnings that shed light on the fundamental social psychological processes involved in understanding and managing conflicts at all levels: interpersonal, intergroup, organizational, and international.

As an area of scholarship and professional practice, conflict resolution is relatively young, having emerged as a discipline after World War II. Practice and theory have been only loosely linked. This book aims to foster closer connection between the two by demonstrating the relevance of theoretical ideas and empirical research to practice. Although the link between theory and practice is inherently bidirectional, this book primarily emphasizes the path from theory to practice.

The theoretical ideas presented in this book were for the most part not developed specifically in relation to understanding conflict or to facilitate professional practice in this area. They have relevance to any area in which it is important to understand the basic processes in social interactions of all sorts and in various contexts—at work; in politics, schools, families, clinics, courts, and bedrooms; on highways; and elsewhere. For the purposes of this book, the authors have developed their chapters to bring out the relevance of the theories and research being discussed to understanding conflict specifically.

When appropriate, chapters are organized to address three general topics. The first deals with the theoretical ideas in the substantive area being discussed. The second draws out the implications of these ideas for understanding conflict, and the third is concerned with the implications of these ideas for educating or training people to manage their conflicts more constructively.

The Handbook of Conflict Resolution is divided into parts somewhat arbitrarily, and inevitably there is overlap among them. The introductory chapter gives examples of real conflicts and indicates the kinds of questions one might pose to understand what is going on in the conflicts—questions that are addressed in many of the chapters. The Introduction also has a brief discussion of the orientations of practitioners on the one hand and researcher-theorists on the other, to offer some insight into the misunderstandings that often occur between these two groups. It also contains an abbreviated history of the study of conflict from a social psychological perspective and indicates the sorts of questions that have been and are being addressed.

Parts 1 through 4 comprise the major portion of the book and present the theoretical ideas that have been developed (mainly in areas of social psychology) that are useful in understanding conflict processes as well as in helping people learn to manage their conflicts constructively. The authors of the chapters in these parts discuss the practical implications of their ideas for conflict, as well as the theoretical foundations underlying the implications they draw.

Even apart from their usefulness for conflict, the theoretical ideas should be of value to anyone interested in understanding the nature of basic social psychological processes and involved in social interactions of any kind. The Contents pages for parts 1 through 4 indicate the broad range of theoretical ideas and their implications for conflict. They are grouped, arbitrarily, into interpersonal and intergroup processes, intrapsychic and intragroup processes, personal differences, and creativity and change. Almost all of the chapters discuss matters that cross such arbitrary boundaries. New chapters (chapters 3, 14, and 15) respectively deal with privilege and justice, group decision making, and gender, as they relate to conflict.

Part 5 contains four chapters that consider the relation between culture and conflict, each from a somewhat different perspective. Chapters 25 through 27 (all new chapters) examine some of the common sorts of misunderstanding that can arise when people from varying cultural backgrounds interact and what can be done to help them learn to understand one another’s cultural background. Then chapter 28 examines an influential theoretical approach to conflict resolution developed in the United States to see how it is (or is not) applicable to conflict in the entirely different context of China.

Part 6 is concerned with difficult conflicts. Two revised chapters (29 and 30) examine aggression and violence and intractable conflict, respectively. Two new chapters have been added: chapter 31 is focused on the connections between human rights and conflicts and chapter 32 on terrorism.

Part 7 is most directly concerned with practice. Its eleven chapters are all authored by leaders in the field and focus on theory and research behind common models of practice such as negotiation (33), mediation (34), the Coleman Raider model for training in constructive conflict resolution (35), dialogue processes (36), and John Gottman’s model of conflict management with couples (37). These chapters then go on to strategies for working with larger groups (38), employing group relations theory (39), reconciliation between groups (40), and employing social network theory to conflict analysis and resolution (41). Chapter 42 focuses on using research findings in practice and chapter 43 on nonviolence and conflict.

In part 8, we look to the future. Chapter 44 presents a framework for thinking about research on conflict resolution training. As of this writing, there has been little good and systematic research in this area. If the field is to develop and have a bright future, it needs more research. Chapter 45 presents the authors’ views of the future directions that basic research on conflict and its resolution might well take.

The concluding chapter is an overview and commentary on the current state of the field; it considers issues such as what substantive questions need to be addressed that have not received the attention they warrant—that is, the practice as well as theoretical issues.

The final (online) section contains what we have labeled our domain-specific chapters. The expert authors of these chapters were asked to familiarize themselves with the basic processes chapters of this Handbook and then to speak to these models and practices in their chapters, making links to existing chapters explicit. They include chapters in the following domains: gender conflict in marriage (chapter 46), conflict resolution in schools (47), conflict in organizations (48), labor relations and conflict (49), law and dispute resolution (50), police and conflict resolution (51), participatory action research, conflict resolution, and communities (52), religion as a third side for peace (53), nongovernmental organizations as a vehicle for collective action (54), managing environmental conflict (55), and international conflict resolution (56).

The contributors to this edition of The Handbook of Conflict Resolution are an illustrious group of experts in the areas with which their chapters are concerned. We have asked them to write chapters that can be easily understood by readers who are not social scientists but are also credible to other experts in their areas. Furthermore, we suggested to them that they limit considerably the number of technical references in their chapter. Given the opaqueness of much writing in the social sciences, it is surprising how well the contributors have succeeded in writing clear, informative, interesting, useful, and authoritative chapters.

We believe The Handbook of Conflict Resolution is accessible and valuable to a wide variety of groups with an interest in constructive conflict management: to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as their professors, in a number of academic fields such as psychology, education, sociology, political science, business, international relations, law, social work, and health care. It is also of value to practitioners such as conflict resolution trainers and consultants, negotiators, mediators, and those who manage or supervise others. In editing this Handbook, we have learned a great deal, so we believe that even those considered experts can find much of value in it.

One final word about the orientation of this Handbook: it is concerned with finding cooperative, win-win solutions to conflict, no matter how difficult. The “black arts” of conflict (such as violence, coercion, intimidation, deceit, blackmail, and seduction) are not discussed except, if at all, in the context of how to respond to or prevent the use of such tactics by oneself or others....