Constructive Conflicts explains how large-scale conflicts-such as clashes between different ideological, religious, ethnic, and racial groups; civil wars; labor-management struggles; and public policy disputes-can be waged more constructively, with more positive consequences and fewer destructive consequences for those involved. Drawing on research from political science, sociology, social-psychology, neuroscience, cultural studies, and other disciplines, Dayton and Kriesberg follow the lifecycle of social and political conflicts as they emerge, escalate, de-escalate, become settled, and often emerge again in new forms. Throughout the book the authors present examples of conflict episodes that have avoided extreme coercion or violence and which have resulted in the advancement of the interests of most parties involved. The book gives policymakers, concerned citizens, and students a powerful analytical framework, supported by data, for understanding and constructively intervening in conflicts of different type and scale, offering a way out of the destructive cycles of conflict management which have come to characterize contemporary social and political relations. The sixth edition pays increased attention to changes in the social and political landscape including the rise of nationalism, the erosion of liberal internationalism, conflicts related to COVID response, political polarization, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Additionally, the growth of 'bottom-up' strategies for peace and conflict management, the rise of misinformation in a 'post-truth' era, and insights from neuroscience all inform this major revision. This edition is also supplemented with end-of-chapter critical reflections, updated cases and tools for conflict analysis, and ancillary teaching materials, including experiential exercises, simulations, and PowerPoints.
Bruce W. Dayton (Ph.D., Syracuse University) serves as professor and chair of the Master of Peace and Justice Leadership, the Master of Diplomacy and International Relations, and Executive Director of the CONTACT Peacebuilding Institute at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA. Professor Dayton has been active in peacebuilding and conflict transformation work for over twenty years as a practitioner, a researcher, and an educator. His other books include Perspectives in Waging Conflicts Constructively and Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation, each co-authored with Louis Kriesberg. Bruce also served for six years as Executive Director of the International Society for Political Psychology and as Associate at the Center for Policy Negotiation in Boston, Massachusetts where he ran policy-dialogues on pressing public policy controversies. Louis Kriesberg (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is professor emeritus of Sociology, Maxwell Professor Emeritus of Social Conflict Studies, and founding director of the Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts (1986-1994), all at Syracuse University. In addition to over 160 book chapters and articles, he is the author or editor of numerous books on conflict studies. He was President of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (1983-1984), and he lectures, consults, and provides training regarding conflict resolution, security issues, and peace studies.
List of Figures and Tables Preface Part One: Conflict Analysis and Conflict Theory Chapter 1. The Constructive Conflicts Approach Plan for the Book and Intended Audience Conflict Definitions Six Foundational Ideas Varieties of Conflicts Combinations Constituting Destructiveness and Constructiveness Summary and Discussion Questions Chapter 2. Preconditions: Three Perspectives on the Origin of Conflicts Human Nature Sociocultural Relations System Attributes Synthesis Summary and Discussion Questions Part Two: Conflict Emergence and Conflict Strategies Chapter 3. Emergence Identity Grievance Forming Contentious Goals Believing Redress is Possible Summary and Discussion Questions Chapter 4. Alternative Conflict Strategies: Coercion, Reward, and Persuasion Choosing Strategies Coercion, Reward, and Persuasion Strategies and Modes of Struggle Illustrative Strategies Summary and Discussion Questions Chapter 5. Adopting Conflict Strategies Conflict Style Partisan Goals Partisan Characteristics Relations between Adversaries Social Context Summary and Discussion Questions Part Three: Conflict Escalation and De-Escalation Chapter 6. Escalation Processes of Escalation Summary and Discussion Questions Chapter 7. De-Escalation Social-Psychological Dynamics Organizational and Tactical Dynamics Systemic and Structural Dynamics De-Escalation Strategies Summary and Discussion Questions Part Four: Mediation, Negotiation, and Post-Conflict Outcomes Chapter 8. Mediation Definitions, Applications, and Benefits Social Roles Shapers of Mediator Roles Assessing Mediator Contributions Summary and Discussion Questions Chapter 9. Negotiated and Non-Negotiated Settlements Non-Negotiated Settlements Negotiated Settlements Forms and Stages of Negotiation Summary and Discussion Questions Chapter 10. Post-Settlement Outcomes Variations in Post-Settlement Outcomes Constructive Transformations Summary and Discussion Questions Chapter 11. Toward Constructive Conflict Transformation Appendix A: Selected Organizations in the Field of Constructive Conflicts
Constructive Conflicts by Bruce W. Dayton and Louis Kriesberg is a new classic. It is an indispensable synthesis of what we know about conflicts and how they can be approached constructively. Their new tag line From Emergence to Transformation captures well the dynamism that invites responsibility. Conflicts are not a given, something that 'just happens.' They are the product of human choices and trends, complex interactions that must be understood and responded to with commitment, competence, and compassion. This Sixth Edition is a jewel, a must read for any scholar, student, and practitioner open to seek what is possible and good for all. -- Andrea Bartoli, President, Sant'Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue This new edition of a standard-setting work in the field of conflict studies brings the authors' insights into contact with some of the most salient recent developments and challenges in the field. Using fresh cases and a reconfigured approach to grasping conflict roots, the authors stimulate much needed reflection while remaining grounded in the vast literature of conflict studies. The addition of updated cases and new study questions at the conclusion of each chapter enable readers to apply the book's concepts to today's world. -- Chester A. Crocker, Emeritus Professor, Georgetown University
