Description
Scitus Academics LLC States and Peoples in Conflict Transformations of Conflict Studies by Amarjit Singh
During the early 1990s the term conflict transformation was not in frequent
use among peace and conflict theorists. Meanwhile, it has “accrued a
number of meanings, including transformation of individuals,
transformation of relationships, and transformation of social systems large
and small. In frequent everyday settings we experience social conflict as a
time when a disruption occurs in the "natural" discourse of our relationships.
As conflict emerges, we stop and take notice that something is not right. The
relationship in which the difficulty is arising becomes complicated, not easy
and fluid as it once was. We no longer take things at face value, but rather
spend greater time and energy to interpret what things mean. As our
communication becomes more difficult, we find it harder and harder to
express our perceptions and feelings. We also find it more difficult to
understand what others are doing and saying, and may develop feelings of
uneasiness and anxiety. Transformation must be able to respond to life's
on-the-ground challenges, needs, and realities. However, the notion of
conflict transformation as simply a further extension of conflict resolution
seems to be in contrast with some of the strongest proponents of the term.
This Book, States and Peoples in Conflict: Transformations of Conflict
Studies, examines the decision-making process, rationale and determining
factors which underlie the strategic shifts of armed movements from violent
to nonviolent resistance. The text provides a cutting-edge and
transdisciplinary overview of the main issues, debates, state-of-the-art
methods, and key concepts in peace and conflict studies. It aims to combine
theory and practice, providing advanced engagement with the theoretical
and philosophical aspects of the subject in the investigation and analysis of
specific cases of conflict.