Constructive Conflicts: From Escalation to Resolution

This popular, highly regarded, and comprehensive book synthesizes pertinent theories and evidence about diverse conflicts. Kriesberg examines the strategies that partisans and intermediaries can use to minimize the destructiveness of these conflicts. Not only does he examine large-scale forces that affect the various stages of conflict, but also the elements that contribute to constructive transformations at each stage. The diverse conflicts discussed are; the American civil rights struggle, the struggle for women's rights, apartheid in South Africa, labor-management relations, Palestinian-Israeli relations, protecting the environment, the Cold War, and countering terrorism, as well as conflicts in Northern Ireland, Chiapas, Mexico, and Sri Lanka. In addition to updating the conflicts examined in earlier editions, this new edition examines current issues, pertaining to ethical concerns, ideological and religious developments, and the changing global role of the United States.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Analyzing Social Conflicts Chapter 2 Bases of Social Conflicts Chapter 3 Emergence of conflicts Chapter 4 Varieties of Conflict Strategies Chapter 5 Adopting Conflict Strategies Chapter 6 Escalation of Conflicts Chapter 7 De-escalation of Conflicts Chapter 8 Mediation in Conflicts Chapter 9 Negotiation in Settling Conflicts Chapter 10 Transformation of Conflicts Chapter 11 Long Term and Indirect Consequences Chapter 12 Synthesis, Specifications, and Implications

About the Author :
Louis Kriesberg is professor emeritus of sociology and Maxwell Professor Emeritus of Social Conflict Studies at Syracuse University. He was founding director of the Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts (1986-1994) and continues as an associate of PARC. In addition to over 100 book chapters and articles, his published books include: Social Processes in International Relations (ed.), Mothers in Poverty, Social Conflicts, Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change (ed., Vols. 1-14, 1978-1992) and Social Inequality. 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.

Review :
Kriesberg uses his rigorous analytical approach in this third edition, plus recent examples from real-life conflicts, to guide scholars and practitioners toward more constructive ways of handling conflicts. His analysis identifies strategies that serve not only to change destructive conflict into more peaceful, productive interaction, but also to prevent normal problems from degenerating into violence. Constructive Conflicts lays out the basic frameworks needed to understand the process of change in social conflict. This third edition is a required reference manual for anyone who studies or tries to manage serious social conflict. -- Murray, John The third edition of Kriesberg's masterful study of social conflicts includes new and updated case material, detailed exploration of the impact of internal party structures on conflict behavior, and expanded analysis of the role of values and beliefs in conflict behavior. This holistic study explores a vast purview of conflict material from every possible angle, with particular attention to the origins and cycles of the most destructive conflicts. Well-suited as a core text for coursework in conflict resolution, Kriesberg's study adheres rigorously to his long-standing quest for ways in which conflict parties, as well as third parties, can conduct conflict constructively, offering the reader a richly illustrated synthesis of work in the field. -- Crocker, Chester A. Louis Kriesberg's Constructive Conflicts is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and practitioners of conflict management and resolution. It sharpens our insights into why some conflicts descend into violence while others--driven perhaps by the same bitterly contested issues--do not. It also helps us identify windows of opportunity -- moments when a conciliatory gesture or third party intervention may be possible and effective. Building on the clarity of presentation and rich examples of the previous editions, this new version is both an excellent classroom textbook and an accessible examination of conflict transformation for people who are already practicing it. -- Pamela Aall Kriesberg offers the reader an extremely useful framework through which to examine the stages of conflict...The book is replete with many strengths. Peace and Change, October 2008 Louis Kriesberg's book is already a classic in our rapidly expanding field, making a new edition a most felicitous event. Particularly useful is the elaboration of three distinct approaches, mediation, negotiation, and transformation. People in the field beware, you have to know all three - and Louis Kriesberg is a most skillful guide. -- Galtung, Johan