Approaches to Social Psychology Relevant to Peace Research as Developed in the FRG

Abstract

Three important aspects of social-psychological peace research in the Federal Republic of Ger many are emphasized in this review. In the realm of political socialization and participation, the tradition of German educational theory as ad vanced by the educated bourgeoisie is noticeable as an obstacle to development in the social sci ences. On the other hand, forms of political soli darization have arisen, particularly in the wake of the student movement, which are establishing themselves as new mediating structures between individuals and mass organizations as well as the state. They are supposed not only to check the rise of autonomous power élites and the further devel opment of structural violence, but also to politicize topical conflicts and to represent interests in an unhypostasized fashion. The discussion of the problem of aggression is mostly theoretical in nature; one tries to overcome the monistic theories and to arrive at multidimen sional models which, of course, deal with the 'natural' element of man - but always within the framework of life-histories as members of a species which consciously seeks to make its history. We then present the difficulties of nomothetic psychology in grasping this historic dimension also with theoretical and metatheoretical developments of a psychoanalytic social psychology, a psychol ogy whose conceptual framework is better suited to answer the questions posed by critical peace re search.