Themes in Peace Psychology Research

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter identifies some concepts, themes, and theories in peace psychology based on a selection of relevant articles and books that examine the psychological components of peace, conflict, and violence. To organize the literature, first we use the 2 × 2 matrix that distinguishes between episodic and structural violence and peace. Then, we identify some concepts, themes and theories that fit neatly within each of the four cells of the matrix. We also identify other psychologically-based concepts, themes, and theories that are more highly integrative and can be applied to at least two cells of the matrix: either episodic and structural violence or episodic and structural peace. At the most integrative level, we identify concepts, themes, and theories in peace psychology that can be applied to all four cells in the matrix. We further extend the two dimensional 2 × 2 matrix and add a third dimension that distinguishes between the objective and subjective properties of violence and peace. Then, we examine the interconnectedness of violence and peace from a systems perspective in which violence and peace are viewed as the interplay of concepts and processes across individual, relational, and structural levels of analysis. We acknowledge that the experience of peace and violence varies with geo-historical contexts, and accordingly, we highlight some of the focal concerns of scholars in various regions of the world. Finally, we conclude the chapter by noting that from a global perspective, sustainable peace requires the continuous crafting of socially just ends through nonviolent means.KeywordsAsylum SeekerCollective EfficacyRestorative JusticeMoral DisengagementIntergroup ContactThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.