Constructive Conflicts

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.