SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF PEACE, SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF PEACE, CONFLICT, AND VIOLENCE: CONFLICT, AND VIOLENCE:

The Division of Peace The Division of Peace Psychology, established within Psychology, established within the American Psychological the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1990, is a Association (APA) in 1990, is a growing organization consisting growing organization consisting of psychologists, students, and of psychologists, students, and professional affiliates from professional affiliates from diverse disciplines. diverse disciplines.

www.peacepsych.org

11

PEACE PSYCHOLOGY DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

22

The specific goals of the Peace Division are:The specific goals of the Peace Division are:

1) to encourage psychological research, education, and 1) to encourage psychological research, education, and training on issues concerning peace, nonviolent conflict training on issues concerning peace, nonviolent conflict resolution, reconciliation, and the causes, consequences resolution, reconciliation, and the causes, consequences and prevention of war and other forms of destructive and prevention of war and other forms of destructive conflict; conflict;

2) to provide an organization that fosters communication 2) to provide an organization that fosters communication among researchers, teachers, and practitioners who are among researchers, teachers, and practitioners who are working on peace issues; and working on peace issues; and

3) to apply the knowledge and the methods of 3) to apply the knowledge and the methods of psychology in the advancement of peace, non-violent psychology in the advancement of peace, non-violent conflict resolution, reconciliation, and the prevention of conflict resolution, reconciliation, and the prevention of war and other forms of destructive conflict.war and other forms of destructive conflict.

Causes of ConflictsCauses of Conflicts

Limited Resources (time, money, property)Limited Resources (time, money, property)

Unmet Basic Needs (security, identity, Unmet Basic Needs (security, identity, material necessities, self-determination)material necessities, self-determination)

Clashing Values (freedom versus equality)Clashing Values (freedom versus equality)

Beliefs (chosen people)Beliefs (chosen people)

Ideologies (capitalism versus communism)Ideologies (capitalism versus communism)

Levels of ConflictLevels of Conflict

Intrapersonal or Intrapsychic Intrapersonal or Intrapsychic (psychotherapist?)(psychotherapist?)

Interpersonal (marriage counselor?)Interpersonal (marriage counselor?)

intragroup (leadership?)intragroup (leadership?)

intergroup (diplomacy?)intergroup (diplomacy?)

interstate (world government?)interstate (world government?)

Dealing with ConflictsDealing with Conflicts

Negotiation Negotiation – Two or more parties working to resolve a Two or more parties working to resolve a

conflictconflict

MediationMediation– Parties in a conflict are assisted by a third partyParties in a conflict are assisted by a third party

ArbitrationArbitration– Settlement imposed by a third party Settlement imposed by a third party

Responses to Conflict (psychological Responses to Conflict (psychological results)results)

a. Withdrawing (self-destructive behavior)a. Withdrawing (self-destructive behavior)

b. Dominating (aggression)b. Dominating (aggression)

c. Submitting (depression)c. Submitting (depression)

d. Engaging (healthy)d. Engaging (healthy)

e. Vascillating (anxiety)e. Vascillating (anxiety)

a

b b

c c

d a

77

Nature of Violence Nature of Violence Violence – The exertion of physical (Violence – The exertion of physical (or or psychologicalpsychological) force that harms.) force that harms.Direct Violence – That committed by identifiable Direct Violence – That committed by identifiable people on particular victims.people on particular victims.Structural Violence – Harm that comes from Structural Violence – Harm that comes from subtle, gradual, systematized, normally subtle, gradual, systematized, normally accepted actions of particular social institutions accepted actions of particular social institutions where responsibility is blurred. (Determines who where responsibility is blurred. (Determines who gets heard, who gets devalued and who gets gets heard, who gets devalued and who gets resources.)resources.)Direct and Structural Violence manifest Direct and Structural Violence manifest differently but are interdependentdifferently but are interdependent

88

Examples of Direct ViolenceExamples of Direct Violence

Hate crimesHate crimes

Ethnic cleansingEthnic cleansing

RapeRape

MurderMurder

WarWar

Police brutalityPolice brutality

99

Examples of Structural ViolenceExamples of Structural Violence

PovertyPoverty

UnemploymentUnemployment

Discrimination (Racism, sexism, etc.)Discrimination (Racism, sexism, etc.)

Poor health care, schools or housingPoor health care, schools or housing

Racial profilingRacial profiling

Corrupt political systemCorrupt political system

Poor accountability for misuse of power Poor accountability for misuse of power

1010

Moral ExclusionMoral Exclusion

Morals- Norms, rights, entitlements, obligations, Morals- Norms, rights, entitlements, obligations, responsibilities and duties that shape our sense responsibilities and duties that shape our sense of justice and guide our behavior with others.of justice and guide our behavior with others.

Moral Community- Those we value inside our Moral Community- Those we value inside our “scope of justice”, family, friends, compatriots “scope of justice”, family, friends, compatriots and coreligionists. “US”and coreligionists. “US”

Morally Excludable- Strangers outside our scope Morally Excludable- Strangers outside our scope of justice and enemies. “THEM”of justice and enemies. “THEM”

1111

Psychological Bases for Moral Psychological Bases for Moral ExclusionExclusion

Tendency to exclude is fostered by normal Tendency to exclude is fostered by normal perceptual tendencies:perceptual tendencies:

1.1. Social categorizationSocial categorization2.2. Evaluative judgmentsEvaluative judgments3.3. Fundamental attribution errorFundamental attribution error4.4. Self-serving biasesSelf-serving biases5.5. Zero-sum thinkingZero-sum thinking6.6. Attributive projectionAttributive projection7.7. Just world thinkingJust world thinking

1212

To Foster Social Justice:To Foster Social Justice:

1.1. Welcome open dialogue and critique.Welcome open dialogue and critique.

2.2. Establish procedures that keep communication Establish procedures that keep communication channels open during increased conflict.channels open during increased conflict.

3.3. Value pluralism and measured acceptance of Value pluralism and measured acceptance of the different.the different.

4.4. Be alert to symptoms of moral exclusion.Be alert to symptoms of moral exclusion.

5.5. Challenge injustice constructively.Challenge injustice constructively.

1313

Recommended ReadingRecommended Reading Christie, D.J., Wagner, R.V. and Winter, D.D. (Eds.), 2001. Christie, D.J., Wagner, R.V. and Winter, D.D. (Eds.), 2001. Peace, Conflict, and Peace, Conflict, and

Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21stst Century Century. Upper Saddle River, NJ: . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Prentice Hall.

Deutsch, M. and Coleman, P.T. & Marcus, E.C. (Eds.) (2006). Deutsch, M. and Coleman, P.T. & Marcus, E.C. (Eds.) (2006). The Handbook of The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

de Rivera, J. (Ed.), 2009. de Rivera, J. (Ed.), 2009. Handbook on Building Cultures of Peace. Handbook on Building Cultures of Peace. New York, New York, NY: Springer.NY: Springer.

MacNair, R.M. (2003). MacNair, R.M. (2003). The Psychology of Peace: An IntroductionThe Psychology of Peace: An Introduction. Westport, CT: . Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.Praeger Publishers.

Mayton, D.M. (2009). Mayton, D.M. (2009). Nonviolence and Peace Psychology: Intrapersonal, Nonviolence and Peace Psychology: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Societal, and World PeaceInterpersonal, Societal, and World Peace. New York: Springer.. New York: Springer.

1414

The following psychologists contributed to development of this PowerPoint presentation: Dan Christie, Joe deRivera, Eduardo Diaz, and Linden Nelson.

For more information about peace psychology, please visit <www.peacepsych.org>.

Credits