conflict research essay

• Tools and Resources
• Customer Services
• Conflict Studies
• Development
• Environment
• Foreign Policy
• Human Rights
• International Law
• Organization
• International Relations Theory
• Political Communication
• Political Economy
• Political Geography
• Political Sociology
• Politics and Sexuality and Gender
• Qualitative Political Methodology
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Security Studies
• Share This Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Article contents

Conflict analysis and resolution as a field: core concepts and issues.

• Louis Kriesberg Louis Kriesberg Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
•  and  Joyce Neu Joyce Neu Facilitating Peace
• https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190846626.013.512
• Published online: 20 November 2018

Core concepts of the interdisciplinary social science field of conflict analysis and resolution (CAR) are discussed. Work in the field is based on numerous generally accepted ideas about the nature of conflict and constructive approaches to conflict. These ideas include ways of waging conflicts constructively, tracing the interconnectedness of conflicts, and assessing the multiplicity of actors. Other important core concepts relate to stages of conflicts: emergence, escalation, de-escalation and settlement, and sustaining peace. Finally, current and future issues regarding CAR conceptualizations and their applications are examined.

• conflict management
• constructive conflicts
• de-escalation
• future work
• interaction
• interconnected conflict
• nonviolent struggle
• normative concerns
• stages of conflict

Introduction *

This article addresses core concepts of the interdisciplinary social science field of conflict analysis and resolution (CAR), primarily in terms of ideas, as expressed in the literature, about the ways in which conflicts can be done constructively. In focusing on the ideas that constitute the field, it looks at relevant theory and research, treating CAR as an interdisciplinary social science field, particularly as it relates to international relations. Additionally, it considers some relatively prescriptive writing when it derives from a degree of empirical evidence. Significantly, peace studies is one of the sources for the field, and it now overlaps with and contributes to the field (Kriesberg, 1991 ). Peace studies work helps to foster normative concerns about the goals sought in waging conflicts and the strategies for reaching them.

The contemporary CAR approach builds on academic research and theorizing, as well as on traditional and innovative practices. Scholars of the approach share a number of generally accepted ideas about the nature of conflicts and constructive approaches to resolving them. These ideas provide the foundation for analyzing conflicts, finding ways of waging conflicts constructively, tracing the interconnectedness of conflicts, and assessing the multiplicity of actors. The CAR approach tends to rely minimally, if at all, on the use of violence in waging and settling conflicts. It also tends to emphasize the role of external intermediaries in the ending of conflicts and in conflict processes that generate solutions yielding some mutual gains for the opposing sides. Another important foundational concept is stages of conflicts: emergence, escalation, de-escalation and settlement, and sustaining peace.

As CAR evolves, workers in the field debate the salience of various ideas and even the meaning of basic concepts in the field. This engagement has led to increased contributions to the CAR literature by scholar-practitioners. These contributions offer a view based on experiencing the realities of various conflicts. This section discusses these ideas and realities, noting some contemporary variations in their interpretation (Bercovitch, Kremenyuk, & Zartman, 2009 ; Coleman, Deutsch, & Marcus, 2014 ; Sandole, Byrne, Sandole-Staroste, & Senehi, 2009 ; see also the companion article by Neu and Kriesberg, “Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Development of the Field of Scholarship (forthcoming),” in this encyclopedia.)

This article has three main sections. The first, “ Constructive Approaches to Conflict ,” explores the generally accepted ideas about the nature of conflict and about constructive approaches to conflict and how they play out in the scholarship on analyzing conflicts, finding ways of waging conflicts constructively, tracing the interconnectedness of conflicts, and assessing the multiplicity of actors. The second, “Conflict Stages,” addresses stages of conflicts: emergence, escalation, de-escalation and settlement, and sustaining peace. The third, “Current and Future Issues,” discusses concepts that are likely to become more controversial as the social-political context becomes less supportive of the CAR approach.

Constructive Approaches to Conflict

There is general consensus within the conflict analysis and resolution (CAR) community on some core ideas about social conflicts. First, social conflicts are universal and potentially beneficial, providing opportunities to achieve desired change. Second, social conflicts are waged with different degrees of destructiveness, and the parties in conflict determine how constructively or destructively they will conduct the conflict. Third, social conflicts entail contested social constructions; each party has its own view of what the fighting is about and who its opponents are. Fourth, social conflicts can be transformed; no matter how entrenched the conflict, outside actors or the parties themselves can take positive steps to move toward peaceful transformation. Fifth, social conflicts are dynamic and tend to move through stages; these stages reflect the constantly changing nature of the conflict and therefore may not always be linear (Kriesberg & Dayton, 2017 ).

Social constructions . Each party interprets its own and its adversaries’ identities, as well as which issues are at stake, from its own vantage point. Differences between parties’ interpretations, therefore, often are contentious.

Heterogeneity of adversaries . Within each party, there are different interests and goals—notably, among and between its leaders and their constituencies others. As relationships within the party change, a shift in the direction of the conflict may be feasible.

Variety of inducements in waging conflict . These include coercive sanctions to force change, positive inducements to reward constructive change, and the use of persuasion to appeal to the other’s best interests and values.

Interconnectedness . Conflicts are interrelated and overlap in time and social space. A conflict is not a closed system and so may be amenable to the intervention of external intermediaries who can help transform the conflict.

Consideration of others . Establishing long-term legitimate relations among adversaries by considering the opponents’ concerns and interests as well as the long-term interests of their own people may be the most difficult challenge for everyone, but it often brings mutual benefits (Kriesberg, 2015 ).

Mediation . Third-party intervention to assist de-escalation and negotiations among adversaries can help to transform and settle conflicts.

Dynamism . Conflicts move through stages during which parties can act with greater or lesser constructiveness to advance positive conflict transformation.

Analyzing Conflicts

There is long-standing general agreement that the initial step in engaging in or studying a conflict is to analyze it (Schirch, 2013 ; U.S. Department of State, 2008 ; Wehr 1979 ). This includes identifying the parties in the conflict and the issues in contention, as the parties perceive them. In any large-scale conflict, each party is highly differentiated, and there will be some variation among different groups within each entity, even regarding what is in contention. Moreover, many other parties have an indirect interest in the conflict and are affected by its course, and they therefore may become directly engaged in the conflict or withdraw from engagement in the future. Thus, the parties and intermediaries in a conflict are likely to be affected by both the possible and the actual interventions of external actors. All parties ought to reflectively analyze a conflict before acting in it.

The perspectives of the analysts influence their analyses. Generally, people who are engaged in a conflict, whether as partisans or as interveners, tend to focus on the explicit positions of the parties in the conflict and how they are acting in the conflict. Those who are less directly engaged tend to place more emphasis on the structure of the relationship among the adversaries and the social context of the conflict. The former kinds of analyses tend to emphasize factors that are amenable to change in the short term; the latter kinds of analyses tend to emphasize structural factors that are less malleable in the short term.

The methods of engagement that people employ influence their analyses. Those who rely heavily on military methods often tend to see conflict as framed by military force; whereas CAR practitioners, who engage in training, workshops, and dialogue work, may emphasize the role of opposing narratives and misunderstandings when analyzing conflicts. Theoretical and ideological inclinations also influence analyses. Greater recognition of these different circumstances may help foster more comprehensive analyses and better synthesizing and sequencing of strategies.

Asymmetry between adversaries in a conflict greatly affects the course the conflict and how it is waged and ended. Members of the CAR field stress the multidimensional character of asymmetry and its fluidity, since they vary with different issues (Mitchell, 1995 ). Reducing certain asymmetries, then, is not necessarily conducive to transforming a conflict and settling it constructively. That depends in good measure on the direction in which a particular asymmetry is reduced. Thus, if one side has greater solidarity and cohesion than the other, asymmetry that is reduced by increasing the other side’s ability to effectively change policies would be conducive to mutual conflict transformation. By the same token, if one side has greater commitment to the issue in contention, asymmetry that is reduced by that side softening its unyielding position would be conducive to bringing about a mutually acceptable conflict transformation.

The changing character of power differences and other kinds of asymmetry are crucial in choosing the appropriate interventions. For example, if equitable accommodations are sought, certain kinds of mediation may not be advisable when the asymmetry in resources between the adversaries is very great.

Recognizing the complexity of this kind of conflict analysis, CAR scholars have produced a broad array of frameworks for conflict analysis (Fund for Peace, 2014 ; Goodhand, Vaux, & Walker, 2002 ; Mason & Rychard, 2005 ; Samarasinghe, Donaldson, & McGinn, 2001 ; U.S. Department of State, 2008 ), together with more in-depth examinations of conflict analyses (Levinger, 2013 ; Schirch, 2013 ).

Methods of Waging Conflicts

A cardinal tenet of CAR is that social conflicts are inevitable and often necessary to improve peoples’ rights. The critical matter in this regard is the way the conflict is conducted and the methods each adversary applies. Conflicts are commonly defined as struggles in which each side tries to hurt the other to advance toward its goals. A basic CAR insight, however, is that efforts to achieve a contested goal are not only coercive, involving only negative sanctions (Boulding, 1989 ; Kriesberg, & Dayton, 2017 ). Positive sanctions can be a second powerful kind of inducement to obtain desired goals. A third kind of inducement is to use persuasive appeals and arguments, relying on shared values and identities. These three kinds of inducements are combined in many ways to constitute a particular strategy at a given time.

Interestingly, this idea has been articulated by leading public figures who are not identified as practitioners in the CAR field. Joseph S. Nye ( 2004 ), for example, has influentially written about the importance of “soft power” in world politics, referring to the many noncoercive inducements that the United States can and does effectively deploy in foreign affairs. Armitage and Nye ( 2007 ) further elaborated on combining “soft power” and “hard power,” particularly military power, which would constitute “smart power.” Hillary Clinton, at her January 2009 confirmation hearings for secretary of state, spoke clearly about the importance of using smart power and not relying solely on military power.

As the field has expanded to address how adversaries may be brought to the negotiating table, more thought has been given to noncoercive inducements and also to applying coercive force that tends to avoid destructive escalation. One strategic method that has been increasingly examined and employed is nonviolent action (Chenoweth & Stephan, 2011 ; Schock, 2005 ; Sharp, 2005 ). Imposing nonviolent sanctions can avoid dehumanizing the enemy and holds out the promise of future mutual benefits.

Interconnectedness of Conflicts

One important reason for conflict fluidity is that each conflict is interconnected with many others (Dahrendorf, 1959 ). Many conflicts are nested in larger conflicts and also encompass smaller ones. Conflicts are generally also linked sequentially, each arising from a previous one. And each party in a large-scale conflict experiences numerous internal conflicts that arise among different factions, ranks, and identity groups (Colaresi, 2005 ). Furthermore, each party is simultaneously engaged in numerous conflicts with a variety of adversaries.

As the salience of one conflict increases, it tends to reduce the salience of the other conflicts. Enemy number one may slip to being enemy number two, making de-escalation in that secondary conflict easier and likelier. Partisans and intermediaries may choose strategies that are intended to alter the salience of a conflict and speed its peaceful resolution.

Multiplicity of Actors

Workers in the CAR field are sensitive to the reality that conflicts are rarely between two homogeneous, unitary entities. Rather, many parties are involved directly or indirectly in every conflict (Crocker, Hampson, & Aall, 1999 ; Touval & Zartman, 2001 ). Even when there appear to be only two sides, in actuality, each side has some characteristics of a coalition. Divisions among the members of each party in a conflict, particularly among leaders and other groups, significantly affect the course of a conflict. External conflict can strengthen internal solidarity, but not always and not forever (Wilkenfeld, 1973 ).

As a conflict de-escalates and moves toward resolution, some factions or allied groups may resist the movement or even reject a signed agreement. They are spoilers, unsatisfied with the terms of the accommodation with the adversary or with their portion in that accommodation (Goren & Elman, 2012 ; Stedman, Rothchild, & Cousens, 2002 ). The parties making the agreement then may try to placate and co-opt the rejectionists or to isolate, marginalize, and overwhelm them. If the parties have not dealt with their spoilers by the time the peace talks begin, then it falls to the third party to decide the best course of action for the talks—either talking to the spoilers or sidelining them. In varying degrees, spoilers are a widespread phenomenon. Attention to them is often critical in undertaking de-escalation and in constructing and sustaining an equitable accommodation.

Actors who are not directly engaged in a conflict can also affect its course (Ury, 2000 ). They are potential or actual intermediaries, allies, and antagonists. The actions of those who are directly engaged in a conflict are affected by concerns about the potential interventions of external actors. In the CAR field, the possible effects of a mediator in facilitating and hastening a negotiated end to a conflict is a major topic of study.

The demand for official Track I mediation to resolve armed conflict has increased and with it, the number of organizations and individuals interested in meeting this demand. There are multiple mediators in peace processes, who may have different skill levels, understandings of the conflict and parties, and conflicting interests. This may allow the parties to play one mediator off the other to the detriment of the process. One idea to minimize competition between potential mediating organizations was suggested by the African Union: to have the most local of the intergovernmental organizations take the lead mediation role (de Coning, 2015 ; Nathan, 2016b ). But considering the meager organizational resources of many regional and subregional organizations, this is not a plausible solution. Nathan ( 2016b ) has suggested that partnerships at the decision-making level of intergovernmental organizations would be more powerful in securing cooperation and coordination in peace processes. Recognizing the problem of multiple mediators, the United Nations issued guidelines emphasizing the critical need for “coherence, coordination and complementarity of mediation efforts” (United Nations, 2012 ).

Other international actors take part in peace processes as “friends of” the mediation or as interested states. They may not be directly involved in the talks, but they can have a positive influence if they support the goals of the peace process (Whitfield, 2010 ). Finally, representatives of civil society, women, and youth from the conflict areas will be present as participants in the talks, observers, or advisers to the parties or the mediation team or both.

Conflict Stages

A central tenet of the CAR approach is that conflicts are not immutable and that even highly intractable conflicts decline in intractability as policies and circumstances change. This happens as conditions change within the adversaries, in their relationships, and in their social contexts. This understanding is manifested in the recognition that conflicts move through a series of general stages. There is little consensus about the names for the stages, but they may be identified by terms such as emergence , escalation , de-escalation , termination , and recovery (Kriesberg, 1982 ; Pruitt & Rubin, 1986 ). In 1992 , the UN secretary-general, Boutros-Ghali, issued his “Agenda for Peace,” bringing attention to the different phases of peacemaking and peacebuilding (Boutros-Ghali, 1992 ). The stages are not clearly bounded or always linear; past stages may recur. Furthermore, groups engaged in the conflict may not participate at the same pace in all the stages. Nevertheless, it is analytically useful to distinguish between the different stages to highlight the relevant CAR factors and processes at each stage.

The field of CAR initially focused on negotiating the end of conflicts, sometimes using mediation. Soon, concern about the prior and later stages of the conflict increased. Greater attention was directed at getting adversaries to the negotiating table and on the quality and sustainability of agreements that are reached. With the increase in outside intervention in internal societal wars and attention to nonstate actors, the field expanded to include giving greater attention to preventing the outbreak of warfare and to recovering from past violent outbreaks. The field presently incorporates the full range of conflict stages, and practitioners often specialize in particular stages of conflict. The ideas and practices that are particularly important at each stage are discussed next.

Conflict Emergence

Conflict emergence draws attention to the underlying conditions that precede an overt conflict. Thus the conditions of structural violence, of unsatisfied human needs, and of exploitation are often pointed to as crucial in characterizing a latent conflict preceding the outbreak of a manifest conflict (Burton, 1990 ; Dahrendorf, 1959 ). In actuality, conflicts often break out not because of the actions of the most oppressed, but because of the actions of the more powerful. The oppressed may have reason to fight, but they often do not believe that some particular group is responsible for their poor circumstances or that they can change those others in a way that will improve their conditions. The more powerful, however, have reason to believe that they can readily get more of what they want from the weaker party. Acting on this belief, they may provoke resistance and a violent conflict.

Adversaries’ beliefs about collective identities, the perceived capabilities of each side, judgments about what is fair and just, and the chance of achieving sought-for goals determine if and when a conflict becomes manifested in deeds. This is why the ideologies that are constructed and adopted by members of a collectivity are critical in conflict emergence. Political, religious, military, and intellectual leaders can utilize a suitable ideology to arouse and mobilize supporters against an enemy and influence the means to be used in the struggle against that enemy. This also is highly relevant for conflicts that stress ethnic differences or differences in religious or political systems of thought.

Conflict Escalation

How a conflict emerges influences how quickly and destructively it escalates. Often, a burst of violence at the initial manifestation of a conflict results in a rapid and sustained escalation, which can entrap the adversaries, who will want to keep fighting in order to justify the losses they have already experienced (Brockner & Rubin, 1985 ). A careful, proportional, tit-for-tat series of exchanges, however, can often contain the scale of the escalation and result in cooperation (Axelrod, 1984 ). The way adversaries interact is the basic determinant of the duration and destructiveness of a conflict’s escalation (Dayton & Kriesberg, 2009 ). Attention to the growing role of nonviolent action and to transforming feelings and thought via social media has increased attention about constructive escalation (Kriesberg & Dayton, 2017 ).

External interventions, often in the form of mediation and consultation by, for example, representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and other international governmental organizations, helped prevent destructive escalation in Eastern Europe after the dissolution of the Soviet Union (McMahon, 2007 ; Möller, 2006 ). External actions or the threat of them can also help to contain a conflict, inhibiting wide-ranging violent attacks. They can also help channel the means of the struggle to electoral politics or nonviolent actions. Unofficial Track Two conflict resolution training and the facilitation of workshops can contribute to such channeling.

Conflict De-escalation and Settlement

Before the emergence of the CAR approach, research and theorizing about de-escalation were relatively neglected topics. Now there is considerable work on the factors and processes that contribute to de-escalation, conflict settlement, and, particularly, negotiating agreements.

Processes and factors that are internal to each adversary, pertain to their relationships, and are components of the external context can contribute to turning an escalating conflict around. Internally, some groups come to believe that the burdens of continuing to fight to achieve some contested goals are costlier than those goals are worth. The relationship between adversaries may change as conciliatory gestures by one side are convincingly made (Mitchell, 2000 ). Changes in the global system’s power relations or salient norms can help shift a conflict toward de-escalation.

The transition from confrontation to de-escalation is a matter of great interest in the field. The idea that a turning point is reached when the adversaries are locked in a hurting stalemate is an influential one (Touval & Zartman, 1985 ). Indeed, members of the opposing sides often come to believe that neither side can impose the settlement it would like, and they begin to search for a settlement they can accept. The discovery or construction of a new option may then appear highly attractive. An interplay between the conflict conditions at a given time and the possible new options marks the suitable time for a particular solution to be proposed and accepted.

Sustaining Peace

There has been a growing literature since the 1990s about the content of peace agreements, recovering from violent societal conflicts, reconciliation, building legitimate institutions of governance, and other matters pertinent to fashioning an enduring and equitable peace (Bar-Siman-Tov, 2003 ; Pouligny, Chesterman, & Schnabel, 2007 ). Peace agreements are difficult to obtain and to sustain. Of 121 armed conflicts between 1990 and 2005 , only one third were concluded by peace agreements (Harbom, Hogbladh, & Wallensteen, 2006 ). Yet since the 1990s, negotiated settlements have become the preferred way to end wars (DeRouen et al., 2010 ).

Walter ( 2002 ) defines the success of a peace agreement in terms of duration: if there is no violence for at least five years after the agreement is signed and the parties make efforts to implement the terms of the agreement, then it is successful. Hampson ( 1996 ) suggests that a “partial success” would be when the parties observe the terms of the agreement they have signed. A more complete success would entail putting in place structures and institutions that discourage the parties from going back to war. Westendorf ( 2015 ) posits that a minimalist view of success would be physical security and the absence of war—that is, a negative peace. A maximalist view would be establishing a positive peace—which would require a deeper and longer term commitment to making the changes needed to establish conditions that are popularly viewed as equitable and legitimate institutions that can address potential conflicts.

Durable peace agreements are characterized by (a) adequate state capacity to implement the agreement (DeRouen et al., 2010 ), (b) third-party intervention during the peace process and post-agreement implementation (DeRouen et al., 2010 ; Hampson 1996 ; Walter 2002 ), (c) inclusion of a mechanism that foresees and addresses problems that may arise during implementation; and (d) participation of civil society and women in the peace process and in post-agreement implementation (Nilsson, 2012 ; O’Reilly, Ó Súilleabháin, & Paffenholz, 2015 ; Wanis-St. John & Kew, 2008 ).

Some of the reasons given for the fragility of peace are that civil society is not always in a position to provide the space and resources for peacemaking, that ongoing violence is socially and politically destabilizing, and that most peace processes have a narrow focus on governance reform (Brewer, 2010 , p. 30).

Current and Future Issues

Given the diversity of CAR’s sources, the changing topics of inquiry, and the increasing domains of work, it is to be expected that many contentious issues are currently matters of disagreement and dialogue. Consideration of seven such matters follows.

Universal or Cultural

An enduring controversy relates to the universality of particular ideas in the CAR approach. As in the case of conflict emergence, some in the field emphasize a particular set of universal human needs, which, when unsatisfied, result in conflicts. Others stress that ways of negotiating, forms of mediation, styles of confrontation, and many other aspects of conducting and settling conflicts vary among different national cultures, religious traditions, social classes, gender, and many other social groupings (Abu-Nimer, 2003 ; Cohen, 1997 ; Faure, 2005 ). Moreover, within each of these groups are subgroupings and personal variations. The differences between groups are matters of central tendencies, and there is a great overlapping of similarities. More needs to be known about the effects of situational as well as cultural effects and about the ease with which people learn new ways of contending and settling fights. The UN declarations and conventions on human rights offer CAR analysts and practitioners standards that can guide CAR practice and yield equitable and enduring settlements (Hayner, 2009 ).

Discipline or General Approach

A major internal issue in the CAR field concerns the extent to which CAR is and should be a focused discipline, a collection of loosely related arenas of research and practice, or a shared broad general approach. In the 1950s, the vision of many workers in the field was of a new comprehensive, interdisciplinary, research-grounded theory, but that was not realized.

Considerable agreement does exist about particular conflict processes and empirical generalizations. Without a comprehensive theory, however, inconsistencies among various generalizations and propositions are not reconciled. Moreover, without a comprehensive theory or theories of the middle range, it is difficult to know under what conditions a particular social process or empirical generalization is or is not operative, and to apply such knowledge to practice. On the other hand, the more general and necessarily abstract perspective about social conflicts lacks the precision needed to make reliable applications. Despite these considerations, empirical generalizations and knowledge of relevant conflict processes can be useful guides to effective actions that minimize the destructiveness of conflicts if used in conjunction with good information about a particular conflict.

Complicating the CAR approach are the differing places occupied by theory and practice. Each has varied in prominence within the field, and both are, in principle, regarded as important. In actuality, however, theory and practice have not always been well integrated. Theory has rarely sought to specify or assess major theoretical premises or propositions. Often, it is largely descriptive of patterns of actions. And though more research on assessing practice is being done, it has been focused on particular interventions, executed and assessed within a short time frame. Although in some spheres, there is a strong interplay between theory and practice, notably regarding negotiation, mediation, nonviolent action, and problem-solving workshops, additional work is needed to integrate other realms.

Nonviolence or Limited Violence

Another contentious issue relates to the use of violence in waging conflicts. There is widespread agreement among CAR analysts and practitioners that violence is wrong, particularly when it is used to serve internal needs rather than for its effects on an adversary. The presumed internal needs may be psychological, status- or power-based, or economic in nature and situated within individuals, organizations, or larger collectivities. Adherents of CAR generally agree that violence is morally and practically wrong when violence is used in a broad, imprecise manner and when it is not used in conjunction with other means to achieve constructive goals. The increasing use of “smart bombs” and missiles from drones pose moral and practical problems about what is good policy regarding the recourse to such allegedly targeted killing. From its origins, some workers in the CAR field have opposed resorting to the use of violence in any conflict, whereas others have believed that limited violence is necessary and effective in some circumstances, as, for example, is articulated in just war theory.

These differences in values and beliefs are becoming more important with the increased use of military intervention to stop destructive and escalating domestic and international conflicts and gross violations of human rights. The challenges are made greater by the increased cooperation of CAR adherents with governments. Much more analysis is needed about how specific violent and nonviolent policies are combined and with what consequences for the various parties under particular conditions. More specificity is needed beyond the generalization that great reliance on naked violence often fails. When violence is undertaken, in desperation, against a mightier antagonist, it most likely fails.

Neutral Process or Good Result

A long-standing issue in the CAR field is whether the emphasis should be on the process by which a conflict is settled or on the justice and consequences of the settlement. If the process is emphasized, the value of the neutrality of the intermediary is stressed and less attention is directed at the nature of the conflict to be settled. This matter is particularly acute in considering when and how mediation is best undertaken (Laue, 1982 ). Some practitioners in the field stress mediator neutrality and the mediator’s focus on the process to reach an agreement. Others argue that a mediator either should avoid mediating when the parties are so unequal that equity is unlikely to be achieved or should act in ways that will help the parties reach a balanced and just outcome (Nader, 1991 ).

Internal Affairs

As is no doubt the case in any field, research findings and best practices have not always been applied internally within the CAR field. Gender bias, for example, remains a challenge. There is notable progress, in many CAR programs in universities, women now appear to be in the majority. According to the ISA’s Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession, women earned 58% of doctoral degrees in the social sciences, and 42% of those in political science. Yet the committee found that women constituted only 12.3% of full professors compared to 23.5% for men (Hancock, Baum, & Breuning, 2013 ). With the rise of contingent workers at universities, women faculty members are disproportionately employed in part-time positions (Curtis, 2013 ). Women and men faculty express the same preference for research and share the opinion that service is an imposition, yet women spend significantly more time teaching, mentoring, and providing service to the university than do their male counterparts (Chenoweth et al., 2016 ; Misra, Lundquist, Holmes, & Agiomavritis, 2011 ).

Gender bias extends to whose research gets taught and whose work is cited. Consistent with numbers in the top international relations journals, 82% of the assigned reading in international relations proseminars was written by male authors. Work by women and mixed-gender teams made up the remaining 18% (Colgan, 2015 ). Other research shows that international relations articles written by women were cited less than those by men and that even when a research article by a woman is published in a top journal, it receives significantly fewer citations than had that article been written by a man (Maliniak, Powers, & Walter, 2013 ).

External Relations

The way CAR relates to other fields and to its social context raises several issues. As the number and variety of would-be intermediaries in large-scale conflicts increase, the relations among CAR-associated organizations and other kinds of governmental and nongovernmental actors becomes more problematic. The engagement of many organizations allows for specialized and complementary programs but also produces problems of competition, redundancy, and confusion. Adversaries may try to co-opt intermediary organizations or exploit differences among them. For example, human rights organizations and conflict resolution organizations can complement each other; but they may also interfere with each other’s work (Babbitt & Lutz, 2009 ).

To enhance the possible benefits and minimize the difficulties of relations among many intervening organizations, coordination of some sort can be helpful. Research indicates that a variety of measures may be undertaken, ranging from informal ad hoc exchanges of information to regular meetings among organizations in the field and having one organization be the “lead” agency (Kriesberg, 1996 ; Nan, 2008 ). The Applied Conflict Resolution Organizations Network (ACRON) was founded in the late 1990s to promote collaboration among conflict resolution organizations to become “a true force for peace” (Applied Conflict Resolution Organizations Network, 2000 ). ACRON went through a name change in 2003 , finally becoming, in 2006 , the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP). The AfP brings together 125 organizations and 1,000 individuals engaged in peacemaking and peacebuilding work. Although coordination will always remain a work in progress, the AfP has succeeded in providing global linkages that have strengthened peacebuilding efforts.

The funding for CAR work usually comes from external sources, which raises another set of issues. The Hewlett Foundation ended its 20-year program of support for conflict resolution programs in 2004 , and no comparable source for sustaining programs of theory, research, and applications has since appeared. Tuition charges help support education and training; service fees help sustain nongovernmental organizations doing applied work; and government agencies and various foundations provide funds for research and service projects. All this keeps the work relevant for immediate use. However, the small scale and short duration of this kind of funding hamper the making of long-term and large-scale research assessments and the theory building that are needed for creative new growth and appropriate applications.

Autonomy or Dependence

Finally, issues relating to autonomy and professional independence deserve attention. CAR analysts and practitioners may tailor their work to the preferences, as they perceive them, of their funders and clients. This diminishes the goals that in their best judgment they might otherwise advance. These risks are enhanced when tasks are contracted out by autocratic or highly ideological entities. Furthermore, as more nongovernmentals are financially dependent on funding by national governments and international organizations, issues regarding autonomy and co-optation grow.

On the other hand, CAR ideas are increasingly picked up by people who do not consider themselves as being in the CAR field. For example, the evidence that countries with democratic political systems do not fight wars with each other has been used as a reason to try to make countries democratic, even by warfare. Obviously, officials and other actors who do not accept the CAR approach as a whole may selectively use elements of it. Such usage sometimes appears to be misusing the approach and making it ineffective. Nevertheless, as people who do not think of themselves as being in the CAR field adopt particular methods and ideas of the field, those methods and ideas are diffusing into society and gaining + credibility.

On the Future

Undoubtedly, the sociopolitical context in the United States and in many other countries in the 21st century has become less conducive to the rise and acceptance of the CAR approach. As discussed in Neu and Kriesberg, “Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Development of the Field of Scholarship (forthcoming),” the sociopolitical context in earlier decades supported the emergence and institutionalization of the CAR approach. Several recent developments have contributed to the deterioration of this support. Notably, in the United States, political parties have become highly polarized with a high level of mutual hostility (Dionne, Ornstein, & Mann, 2017 ). Growing economic inequality, stagnating wages for many, and increasing wealth for a few generated grievances among the nonrich. Some of the rich used their resources to further enrich themselves—by denying inconvenient scientific facts, disregarding democratic civility, weakening trade unions, and denigrating opponents of these actions. Republican Party leaders often joined in promoting such practices. Moreover, Democratic Party leaders failed to deal with the growing public dissatisfaction with these developments (Frank, 2016 ).

Many other broad, external changes contributed to the foregoing changes. These include technological changes relating to the evolving social media that reduced previously widely shared views of reality. Conversely, technological developments have also contributed to the growing integration of the world, with accompanying economic effects. Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 , a surge of wars prompted waves of refugees entering Europe. Terrorist attacks added fears, gave rise to anti-Muslim feelings, aroused ethnonationalist sentiments, and contributed to authoritarian tendencies in many countries around the world. In the United States, the election of Donald J. Trump to the presidency of the United States is a symptom of and promotes views and behaviors that are antithetical to the CAR approach. This is illustrated by his bullying style, lack of empathy, and discounting of empirical evidence.

Many aspects of the reaction to these developments in the United States and elsewhere, however, are consistent with and lend support to the CAR approach. A reliance on many aspects of nonviolent action has been evident in massive demonstrations and acts of solidarity with people threatened by the policies of the Trump administration. Resistance has taken many forms, including forming broad coalitions and creating new social organizations, notably in the national Indivisible movement (Dionne, Ornstein, & Mann, 2017 ). Moreover, many of the persuasive efforts convey empathy for and propose alternative policies to alleviate the grievances that drove some people to vote for Trump. Generally, the persuasive efforts foster mutual regard for all people and attention to evidence-based understandings of reality.

The new circumstances should be met with new adaptations among workers in the CAR field. Broadly, this would include giving more attention to enhancing human rights and satisfying human needs in the ways conflicts are waged and transformed. Attention to such matters would extend to sustainable peacebuilding. This could include work on the ways governmental officials and nongovernmental organizations work together constructively (Gerard & Kriesberg, 2018 ). Humans, over many thousands of years, have gradually come to live together with declining rates of violence (Pinker, 2011 ). Work in the CAR field can contribute to continuing that progress, despite setbacks.

Links to Digital Materials

Note : The following list is not intended to be comprehensive; it is, however, illustrative of the diversity of CAR resources. Many of the descriptions are from the organizations’ websites.

ACCORD: The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (Durban, South Africa). ACCORD is a South Africa–based civil society organization working throughout Africa to bring creative African solutions to the challenges posed by conflict on the continent. ACCORD publishes the African Journal on Conflict Resolution , Conflict Trends , and Policy and Practice Brief .

Alliance for Peacebuilding (Washington, DC). The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) leads a community of more than 100 organizations building peaceful and just societies around the world. In this integrated field, the AfP amplifies the strengths of its members through collaboration, tackling a spectrum of issues too large for any one organization to address alone.

Berghof Foundation (Berlin, Germany). The Berghof Foundation is an independent nongovernmental organization that supports efforts to prevent political and social violence and to achieve sustainable peace through conflict transformation. The foundation publishes the Berghof Handbook for Conflict Transformation .

Beyond Intractability (Boulder, CO). Created by a team of more than 400 distinguished scholars and practitioners from around the world, the Beyond Intractability/CRInfo Knowledge Base is built around an online “encyclopedia” with easy-to-understand essays on almost 400 topics. The essays explain the many dynamics that determine the course of conflict along with the available options for promoting more constructive approaches.

The Carter Center (Atlanta, GA). The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization in partnership with Emory University, is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. It seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.

Centre for Conflict Resolution (Cape Town, South Africa). The center aims to contribute to a just and sustainable peace in Africa by promoting constructive, creative, and cooperative approaches to the resolution of conflict through training, policy development, research, and capacity building. The center produces a wide range of publications including seminar reports , policy briefs , books , and occasional reports .

HD: The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (Geneva, Switzerland). The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) is a Swiss-based private diplomacy organization founded on the principles of humanity, impartiality, and independence. Its mission is to help prevent, mitigate, and resolve armed conflict through dialogue and mediation. The center publishes reports on the conflicts and issues in which it is involved.

Centre for Mediation in Africa (Hatfield, South Africa). The center strives to make mediation efforts throughout Africa more effective by offering academic and practical courses in mediation, researching new and current best practices, and supporting organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, and those African governments involved in the mediation process. The center produces research on mediation best practices.

Conflict Management Initiative (CMI) (Helsinki, Finland). The Conflict Management Initiative (CMI) works closely with all conflicting parties in some of the world’s most intractable conflicts to forge lasting peace through informal dialogue and mediation. CMI was founded in 2000 by Nobel Peace laureate and former president of Finland Martti Ahtisaari.

Conflict Resolution Information (Boulder, CO). A free online clearinghouse, indexing peace- and conflict-resolution-related webpages, books, articles, audiovisual materials, organizational profiles, events, and current news articles.

Conciliation Resources (London, UK). The mission of Conciliation Resources is to provide practical support to help people affected by violent conflict achieve lasting peace. It draws on shared experiences to improve peacebuilding policies and practice worldwide. Conciliation Resources publishes the Accord series.

Crisis Group (Brussels, Belgium). An independent, nonprofit nongovernmental organization committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict, Crisis Group conducts analyses of major current conflicts based on fieldwork and makes policy suggestions. It publishes alerts, reports, and briefings on the various conflicts it works on.

European Institute of Peace (Brussels, Belgium). The European Institute of Peace (EIP), launched in May 2014, is an independent partner to the European Union and Europe, augmenting its global peace agenda through mediation and informal dialogue. The EIP pursues multitrack diplomacy and acts as a flexible external tool in support of EU mediation efforts where the EU has limited freedom to act. It also serves as an operational hub, connecting existing expertise and sharing knowledge and lessons on European mediation.

Institute for Peace and Security Studies (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). The Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at the Addis Ababa University is the premiere institute for education, research, and policy dialogues on peace and security in Africa. The IPSS produces two types of policy periodicals, the IPSS Policy Analysis and the IPSS Policy Brief to provide comprehensive policy options in the areas of peace, security, and governance.

INCORE: International Conflict Research Institute (Ulster, UK). INCORE is a joint project of the United Nations University and the University of Ulster. It provides a Conflict Data Service and a comprehensive database and resource guide to conflict-prone regions and countries.

Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (Accra, South Africa). The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) is one of three institutions designated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a regional Centre of Excellence for the delivery of training and research in the areas of conflict prevention, management, and peacebuilding.

Nairobi Peace Initiative–Africa (Nairobi, Kenya). The Nairobi Peace Initiative–Africa (NPI-Africa) is a continental peace resource organization, engaged in a broad range of peacebuilding and conflict transformation initiatives in Africa.

Peace and Collaborative Development Network (Washington, DC). Created by Dr. Craig Zelizer in 2007, the Peace and Collaborative Development Network (PCDN) is the go-to hub for the global change-making community. The PCDN is a rapidly growing social enterprise that gathers over 35,500 professionals, organizations, and students engaged in social change, peacebuilding, social entrepreneurship, development, and related fields.

Peace Research Institute of Oslo (Oslo, Norway). Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO) conducts research on the conditions for peaceful relations between states, groups, and people. It publishes the journal Security Dialogue and the Journal of Peace Research .

Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute (Stockholm, Sweden). The Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute (SIPRI) is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament. SIPRI provides data, analyses, and recommendations based on open sources to policymakers, researchers, media, and the interested public. SIPRI produces the annual SIPRI Yearbook .

United States Institute of Peace (Washington, DC). An independent, nonpartisan institution established and funded by the U.S. Congress. Its goals are to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts; promote postconflict stability and development; and increase conflict-management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide. The USIP offers online and on-site courses, and the United States Institute of Peace Press has been publishing books on CAR since 1991.

UN Peacemaker (New York, NY). UN Peacemaker is the online mediation support tool developed by the United Nations Department of Political Affairs. Intended for peacemaking professionals, it includes an extensive database of peace agreements, guidance material, and information on United Nations mediation support services. UN Peacemaker is part of the United Nation’s overall efforts to support UN and non-UN mediation initiatives.

West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (Accra, South Africa). The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) is a leading regional peacebuilding organization founded in 1998 in response to civil wars that plagued West Africa in the 1990s. Over the years, WANEP has succeeded in establishing strong national networks in every member state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and has over 500 member organizations across West Africa.

• Abu-Nimer, M. (2003). Nonviolence and peace building in Islam: Theory and practice . Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
• Applied Conflict Resolution Organizations Network (2000, November). Concept Paper, Revised Draft. ACRON, Washington, DC.
• Armitage, R. L. , & Nye, J. S., Jr . (2007). A smarter more secure America . Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies.
• Axelrod, R. (1984). The evolution of cooperation . New York, NY: Basic Books.
• Babbitt, E. F. , & Lutz, E. L. (Eds.). (2009). Human rights and conflict resolution in context . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
• Bar-Siman-Tov, Y. (Ed.). (2003). From conflict resolution to reconciliation . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Bercovitch, J. , Kremenyuk, V. , & Zartman, I. W. (Eds.). (2009). Sage handbook of conflict resolution . London, UK: Sage.
• Boulding, K. E. (1989). Three faces of power . Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
• Boutros-Ghali, B. (1992). An agenda for peace: Preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peacekeeping (Report of the Secretary-General, A/47/277). New York, NY: United Nations.
• Brewer, J. D. (2010). Peace processes: A sociological approach . Cambridge, UK: Polity.
• Brockner, J. , & Rubin, J. Z. (1985). Entrapment in escalating conflicts: A social psychological analysis . New York, NY: Springer Verlag.
• Burton, J. (1990). Conflict: Resolution and provention . New York, NY: St. Martin’s.
• Chenoweth, E. , Fortna, P. , Mitchell, S. , Savun, B. , Weeks, J. , & Cunningham, K. (2016). How to get tenure (if you’re a woman) . Foreign Policy , April 19, 2016.
• Chenoweth, E. , & Stephan, M. J. (2011). Why civil resistance works: The strategic logic of nonviolent conflict . New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
• Cohen, R. (1997). Negotiating across cultures . Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.
• Colaresi, M. P. (2005). Scare tactics: The politics of international rivalry . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
• Coleman, P. T. , Deutsch, M. , & Marcus, E. C. (Eds.). (2014). The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Colgan, J. (2015, August 27). New evidence on gender bias in IR syllabi . Guest Post. Duck of Minerva Blog.
• Crocker, C. A. , Hampson, F. O. , & Aall, P. (Eds.). (1999). Herding cats: Multiparty mediation in a complex world . Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.
• Curtis, J. W. (2013). What roles are we modeling? Gendered academic employment and its consequences. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.
• Dahrendorf, R. (1959). Class and class conflict in industrial society . Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
• Dayton, B. W. , & Kriesberg, L. (Eds.). (2009). Conflict transformation and peacebuilding: Moving from violence to sustainable peace . London, UK: Routledge.
• de Coning, C. (2015). Regional approaches to peacebuilding. Tokyo, Japan: Centre for Policy Research, United Nations University.
• DeRouen, K., Jr. , Ferguson, M. J. , Norton, S. , Park, Y. H. , Lea, J. , & Streat-Bartlett, A. (2010). Civil war peace agreement implementation and state capacity. Journal of Peace Research , 47 , 333–346.
• Dionne, E. J. , Ornstein, N. J. , & Mann, T. E. (2017). One nation after Trump . New York, NY: St. Martin’s.
• Faure, G. O. (Ed.). (2005). La négociation: Regards sur sa diversité . Paris, France: Publibook.
• Frank, T. (2016). Listen, liberal; or what ever happened to the party of the people? New York, NY: Metropolitan.
• Fund for Peace . (2014). Conflict assessment framework manual . Report. Washington, DC: Fund for Peace.
• Gerard, C. , & Kriesberg, L. (Eds.). (2018). Conflict and Collaboration: For better or worse . New York, NY: Routledge.
• Goodhand, J. , Vaux, T. , & Walker, R. (2002). Conducting conflict assessments: Guidance notes . London, UK: Department for International Development.
• Goren, N. , & Elman, M. F. (Eds.). (2012, July 23). Spoilers of peace and the dilemmas of conflict resolution . Ramat Gan, Israel: The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies (MITVIM) and the Program for the Advancement of Research for Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC). Based on a workshop conducted by MITVIM and the U.S. Embassy, Tel Aviv, Kfar Shmaryahu, Israel, 2012.
• Hampson, F. O. (1996). Nurturing peace: Why peace settlements succeed or fail . Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.
• Hancock, K. J. , Baum, M. A. , & Breuning, M. (2013). Women and pre-tenure scholarly productivity in international studies: An investigation into the leaky career pipeline. International Studies Perspectives , 14 , 507–527.
• Harbom, L. , Högbladh, S. , & Wallensteen, P. (2006). Armed conflict and peace agreements. Journal of Peace Research , 43 , 617–631.
• Hayner, P. (2009, February). Negotiating justice: Guidance for mediators . Report. Geneva, Switzerland: Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
• Kriesberg, L. (1982). Social conflicts . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Kriesberg, L. (1991). Conflict resolution and applications to peace studies. Peace and Change , 16 , 400–417.
• Kriesberg, L. (1996). Coordinating intermediary peace efforts. Negotiation Journal , 12 , pp. 341–352.
• Kriesberg, L. (2015). Realizing peace: A constructive conflict approach . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Kriesberg, L. , & Dayton, B. W. (2017). Constructive conflicts: From escalation to resolution (5th ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Laue, J. (1982). Ethical considerations in choosing intervention roles. Peace and Change , 8 , 34.
• Levinger, M. (2013). Conflict analysis: Understanding causes, unlocking solutions . Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.
• Maliniak, D. , Powers, R. , & Walter, B. F. (2013). The gender citation gap in international relations. International Organization , 67 (4), 889–922.
• Mason, S. , & Rychard, S. (2005). Conflict analysis tools. (Tip Sheet). Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Bern, Switzerland.
• McMahon, P. C. (2007). Taming ethnic hatred: Ethnic cooperation and transnational networks in Eastern Europe . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
• Misra, J. , Lundquist, J. H. , Holmes, E. , & Agiomavritis, S. (2011). The ivory ceiling of service work. Academe , 97 (1), 22–26.
• Mitchell, C. R. (1995). Asymmetry and strategies of regional conflict reduction. In I. W. Zartman & V. A. Kremenyuk (Eds.), Cooperative security: Reducing third world wars (pp. 25–57). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
• Mitchell, C. R. (2000). Gestures of conciliation: Factors contributing to successful olive branches . New York, NY: St. Martin’s.
• Möller, F. (2006). Thinking peaceful change: Baltic security policies and security community building . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
• Nader, L. (1991). Harmony models and the construction of law. In K. Avruch , P. W. Black , & J. A. Scimecca (Eds.), Conflict resolution: Cross-cultural perspectives (pp. 41–59). New York, NY: Greenwood.
• Nan, S. A. (2008). Conflict resolution in a network society. International Negotiation , 13 , 111–131.
• Nathan, L. (2016b). Will the lowest be first? Subsidiarity in peacemaking in Africa. In P. Aall & C. A. Crocker (Eds.), Minding the gap: African conflict management in a time of change (pp. 157–170). Waterloo, ON: Centre for International Governance Innovation.
• Nilsson, D. (2012). Anchoring the peace: Civil society actors in peace accords and durable peace. International Interactions , 38 , 243–266.
• Nye, J. S., Jr . (2004). Soft power: The means to success in world politics . New York, NY: Public Affairs.
• O’Reilly, M. , Ó Súilleabháin, A. , & Paffenholz, T. (2015). Reimagining peacemaking: Women’s roles in peace processes . New York, NY: International Peace Institute.
• Pinker, S. (2011). The better angels of our nature: Why violence has declined . New York, NY: Viking.
• Pouligny, B. , Chesterman, S. , & Schnabel, A. (Eds.). (2007). After mass crime: Rebuilding states and communities . Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University Press.
• Pruitt, D. G. , & Rubin, J. Z. (1986). Social conflict: Escalation, stalemate, and settlement . New York, NY: Random House.
• Samarasinghe, S. , Donaldson, B. , & McGinn, C. (2001). Conflict vulnerability analysis: Issues, tools, and responses. Report. USAID Africa Bureau, Office of Sustainable Development, Washington, DC.
• Sandole, D. J. D. , Byrne, S. , Sandole-Staroste, I. , & Senehi, J. (Eds.). (2009). Handbook of conflict analysis and resolution . Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
• Schirch, L. (2013). Conflict assessment and peacebuilding planning . Boulder, CO: Kumarian.
• Schock, K. (2005). Unarmed insurrections: People power movements in nondemocracies . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Sharp, G. (2005). Waging nonviolent struggle: 20th century practice and 21st century potential . Boston, MA: Porter Sargent.
• Stedman, S. J. , Rothchild, D. , & Cousens, E. M. (Eds.). (2002). Ending civil wars: The implementation of peace agreements . Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
• Touval, S. , & Zartman, I. W. (2001). International mediation in the post–Cold War era. In C. A. Crocker , F. O. Hampson , & P. Aall (Eds.), Turbulent peace: The challenges of managing international conflict (pp. 427–444). Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.
• Touval, S. , & Zartman, I. W. (Eds.). (1985). International mediation in theory and practice . Boulder, CO: Westview.
• United Nations . (2012, September). Guidance for effective mediation . New York, NY: United Nations.
• Ury, W. (2000). The third side . New York, NY: Penguin.
• U.S. Department of State (2008). Interagency conflict assessment framework . Washington, DC: Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization.
• Walter, B. (2002). Committing to peace: The successful settlement of civil wars . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Wanis-St. John, A. , & Kew, D. (2008). Civil society and peace negotiations: Confronting exclusion. International Negotiation , 13 , 11–36.
• Wehr, P. (1979). Conflict regulation . Boulder, CO: Westview.
• West Africa Network for Peacebuilding . (2012). Dialogue and Mediation: A Practitioner’s Guide . Accra, Ghana: WANEP.
• Westendorf, J.-K. (2015). Why peace processes fail: Negotiating insecurity after civil war . Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
• Whitfield, T. (2010). Working with groups of friends . Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.
• Wilkenfeld, J. (Ed.). (1973). Conflict behavior and linkage politics . New York, NY: D. Mckay.

* This article and Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Development of the Field update and expand Conflict Analysis and Resolution as a Field .

Related Articles

• Conflict Analysis and Resolution as a Field
• Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Development of the Field

Printed from Oxford Research Encyclopedias, International Studies. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a single article for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 08 May 2024

• Cookie Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Legal Notice
• Accessibility
• [66.249.64.20|185.126.86.119]
• 185.126.86.119

Character limit 500 /500

• Browse All Articles
• Newsletter Sign-Up

ConflictandResolution →

No results found in working knowledge.

• Were any results found in one of the other content buckets on the left?
• Try removing some search filters.
• Use different search filters.

131 Conflict Resolution Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on conflict resolution, ✍️ conflict resolution essay topics for college, 👍 good conflict resolution research topics & essay examples, 🌶️ hot conflict resolution ideas to write about, 💡 simple conflict resolution essay ideas, ❓ essay questions on conflict resolution.

• Conflict Resolution Techniques
• Conflict Resolution at Walmart
• Parent-Child Conflict Resolution: Communication Problem
• Compromise and Collaboration in Conflict Resolution
• Team Building and Conflict Resolution at Workplace
• Negotiations and Conflict Resolution
• Concept of Saving Face in Conflict Resolution
• Conflict Resolution Techniques In terms of the topic, the notions of conflict types, conflict resolution strategies, and conflict resolution skills will be taken into consideration.
• Conflict Resolution at Walmart The paper concerns conflict resolution at Walmart. It analyzes the challenges that Walmart needs to overcome and the application of management theories.
• Parent-Child Conflict Resolution: Communication Problem The psychological view upon the problem of the parent-child conflict covers many aspects explaining the nature of generations’ contradictions.
• Compromise and Collaboration in Conflict Resolution The choice of conflict resolution approach depends on the situation. Compromise and collaboration are the most popular approaches with their own benefits and disadvantages.
• Team Building and Conflict Resolution at Workplace Teamwork is recognized more as a collaborative effort by the members for the mutual benefits of corporation and organization employee relations resulted as cooperation among the team members.
• Negotiations and Conflict Resolution The paper discusses the statement: Negotiators who frame a conflict as ‘winner takes all’ will have a harder time than those who believe it is possible for everyone to win.
• Concept of Saving Face in Conflict Resolution Human beings are flesh and blood with emotion and words can scar one for life. Before one opens their mouth to confront another party they should think about their words.
• Conflict Stages and Its Resolution in Healthcare The purpose of this paper is to describe the case related to the development of a conflict in a healthcare setting, identify its type and discuss four stages of a conflict.
• Conflict Resolution in Nursing Sufficient conflict resolution is an essential component of any organization’s successful performance because conflicts occur in any sphere where human interaction is involved.
• Nurse Manager’s Role in Conflict Resolution The causes of conflicts can range from simple misunderstandings and communication failures to more profound clashes of values, personalities, or objectives.
• Conflict Resolution in a Healthcare Setting The senior management of a healthcare setting must find a way to resolve a conflict in order not to undermine employees’ productivity and the quality of the provided care.
• Conflict Resolution Case: Details and Stages There are many options for resolving various conflict situations. To use them, it is necessary to think soberly and sometimes even predict possible conflicts.
• Conflict Resolution Between Nurse and Patient This paper discusses the case of intense disagreement between a nurse and a patient regarding the use of antibiotics as a treatment method for a viral infection.
• Role Play on Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution within an organization is one of the most critical leadership skills that foster cohesion, enhances work relationships, and improve the overall outlook of products.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse’s Role Conflict Resolution The APRN role conflict is pervasive within interdisciplinary teams. The most appropriate approach in resolving the APRN role conflict is the collaborative style.
• Team-Building Activities and Conflict Resolution Team building is an important instrument that assists organizations in building teams that are able to accomplish objectives and tasks which are defined by organizations.
• “Disgrace” by John Maxwell Coetzee: Conflict Resolution This is a literary analysis of Disgrace by Coetzee that demonstrates conflict resolution styles of David and Lucy Lurie differ due to their social environments and sexual genres.
• Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies & Theories There are five behavior strategies in a conflict, such as withdrawal, coercion, compromise, concession, and cooperation.
• Conflicts and Resolution at Engineering Companies The purpose of the current exploration is to discuss the cases of internal and external conflicts in a project team, with a special focus on the engineering context.
• Nurse-Physician Conflict and Resolution Nurses communicate with a variety of health professionals. When it comes to nursing, conflicts in the workplace can have serious effects on patient health.
• Healthcare Conflict Resolution Case This paper dwells on the details of the conflict in a Healthcare Setting between Kimberly and Jade and describes the stages of the conflict.
• Conflicts: Main Reasons and Resolution Conflict resolution is a complex issue that implies numerous points of view on the same problem and the ability to find the main reason for confrontation.
• Conflict Management in Nursing Practice This paper explores the nature of conflict in the context of patient care, its four stages, and suggests the best strategy for resolving the conflict.
• Conflict Resolution: A Constructive Approach The lack of strategic vision and poor group management in an organization can result in low commitment and conflict situations, lack of understanding, and satisfaction.
• Gender and Cultures in Conflict Resolution The conflict resolution measures should not solely end conflicts, but should also help to restore the fighting communities together.
• Evidence-Based Conflict Resolution Strategies in Healthcare This paper aims to discuss an evidence-based example of a conflict situation in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the best conflict resolution strategies.
• Conflict Resolution and Action Plan in Hospital In this assignment, a recurring conflict in a hospital setting in Miami will be discussed for the purpose of developing an effective action plan for subsequent conflict resolution.
• Conflict Resolution Strategies and Organizational Behavior The phenomenon of organizational conflict and its impact on the performance of organizations has generated increasing attention from organizational scholars.
• Conflict Self-Assessment and Resolution In this article, the author considers various conflict situations, ways to resolve them and methods of conflict Self-Assessment.
• Conflict Resolution at the Workplace Mutual conversation among employees is one of the critical factors which result in good relationships among the workers.
• Correlation Between Negotiation and Conflict Resolution The paper describes the goals of dialogue communication during the negotiation process, types of negotiations, stages, and factors for successful negotiations.
• Communication and Conflict Resolution Ways A destructive conflict is that which is fanned by various destructive attitudinal elements, creating an escalation in disagreement and offering no platforms to solving the issue.
• Conflict Resolution: Compromise and Collaboration Conflicts are usually caused by the incompatibility of principles, aims, interests, or experiences. The success of conflict resolution depends on the selected strategy.
• Theories of Conflict Resolution There are two types of theories that are useful in analyzing relationship conflict in human services: needs theory and attribution theory.
• The Conflict Resolution Process Conflicts exist everywhere in day-to-day activities and are inevitable. Whether in families, social relationships, or workplaces, they are bound to arise at any time.
• Conflict in Nursing: Conflict Resolution in a Healthcare Setting This paper aims to evaluate a recurring conflict taking place among the nurses of a hospital setting in Miami, which had an adverse influence on the practice of nurses.
• Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution in Nursing The paper presents an overview of a conflict situation that I observed at nursing work, along with due attention to stages of conflict and strategies for conflict resolution.
• Conflict Resolution in Business The function of a conflict is drawing attention to the problems that exist within a group of people and catalyze its resolving.
• Applying Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Knowledge Any negotiation situation has two or more sides involved. Needs and desires of the parties may not match at all or the sides may pursue absolutely opposite final goals.
• Conflict Resolution for Hospital Leadership The healthcare setting can be a high-stress environment hence the need for conflict management techniques which should equip workforce with accurate skills.
• Emotional Intelligence in Conflict Resolution Emotional intelligence is a vital skill that can be applied in a variety of situations. This paper discusses how leadership can be exercised to promote emotional intelligence.
• Conflict Resolution: Video Analysis The video on conflict resolution skills shows an individual who is instigating a conflict by complaining about a range of things.
• FlipHarp Company’s Conflict Resolution The conflict at FlipHarp Company involved team members who had different working styles. Some employees wanted external direction, while others needed no support from their leader.
• Communication Issues and Conflict Resolution Communication has assisted in the growth of trust and the generation of solutions with your stakeholders and corrective action.
• Conflict Resolution. A Values-Based Negotiation Model The basic types of conflict are goal disagreement, which is characterized by incompatible outcomes, and cognitive differences.
• Conflict Resolution: Conflict Prevention Methods This essay aims to analyze the two different conflict situations and apply the proposed resolution process to them.
• Difficult Interactions and Conflict Resolution Conflict is defined as a confrontation or disagreement between people because of differences in attitudes, interests, perceptions, or needs.
• Workplace Conflict Resolution by a Human Resource Manager Training employees to use mediation techniques in conflict resolution can enable them to resolve disputes effectively.
• Conflict Resolution Strategies Training Program Conflicts happen between people who have different points of view and different approaches to the same situation.
• The Understanding of the Conflict Nature and Resolution in the Nursing Area This course prepares to conflict identification and resolution based on effective communication strategies and understanding critical issues pertinent to the nursing sphere.
• Miami Hospital’s Nursing Conflict Resolution This essay will describe a recent conflict in one of the Miami hospitals and discuss potential strategies for dealing with work-related quarrels in health organizations.
• Conflict Resolution in a Care Delivery Setting Some hospitals have good leaders and managers who are able to identify problems and predict negative outcomes.
• The Conflict Resolution and Moral Distress in Nursing It could hardly be doubted that conflicts in the workplace have a considerably negative impact on the overall efficiency of any given organization.
• Conflict Resolution: The Nursing Context In the healthcare setting, conflict resolution is necessary to consider as confrontational situations occur on a regular basis.
• Professional Conflict Resolution Skills in Nurses There are a lot of ways to resolve the conflicts that occur between the co-workers and mitigate their negative impact on the working performance of the group.
• Document Conflict: Alternative Dispute Resolution The source of the dispute is an insufficiently precise document, which was incorrectly interpreted by one of the parties that signed the corresponding agreement.
• European Union Mediation Directive for Conflict Resolution The study will attempt to explicitly review the implementation of European Union mediation as a means for conflict resolution and its effectiveness across the borders of Europe.
• Workplace Conflict Resolution and Team Building This paper provides several recommendations for resolving a number of conflict situations in the workplace and creating an effective team.
• Conflict Resolution for Nurses and Other Providers Arguments between nurses and other healthcare providers may be inevitable but can be solved by the methods of conflict resolution.
• Effective Conflict-Resolution Strategies in Healthcare Effective conflict-resolution strategies can provide the involved parties with an opportunity to improve the observed situation and make issues escalate.
• Conflict Resolution Skills in Nursing The conflict scenario involves the lead nurse and the hospital administrator on prioritizing expenditure in fall management equipment and training of nurses.
• Conflict Resolution in Healthcare Workplace Health administrators should use adequate measures to address every challenge. This discussion describes a conflict that has occurred in healthcare working environment.
• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in Conflict Resolution The present paper is devoted to a case study of the Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) involvement in conflict resolution.
• Nursing Leadership and Conflict Resolution The paper unveils the working mechanism of the qualities of a leader, and the ability of the leader uses an array of strategies to mitigate conflicts at the working place.
• Conflict Resolution in Healthcare Establishments Helthcare conflicts occurrence can be prevented or even turned into an advantage by applying proper leadership skills and techniques after the conflict is properly identified.
• Conflict Resolution Decision in Healthcare Institutions Disputes may arise because of unfair or unsatisfactory working conditions or because of poor performance of some employees.
• Conflict Resolution by the African Union The article “After 50 years of the OAU-AU: Time to Strengthen the Conflict Intervention Framework” provides insightful information on the mechanisms provided by the African Union to address conflict.
• Conflict Resolution in Professional Nurse Activity The complaint from the patient was the following. The nurse, who was responsible for his recovery, did not perform her professional duties well enough.
• Employee Conflicts Resolution and Ethical Dilemmas Any workplace is an environment in which many people have to interact with each other; as a result, there is a possibility of conflicts between employees.
• Conflict in Nurse Work and Its Resolution Conflict is an inevitable part of nurse-patient relationships. This paper analyzes the conflict issue and determines the main aspects of its resolution.
• Hospital Setting Miami: Conflict Resolution Conflict is commonplace in many lines of work, especially those that deal with high levels of stress and responsibility. The situation occurred in the nurses’ lounge area.
• Conflict Resolution in Hospital Setting Miami The particular conflict that needs to be described in the given paper involves two participants – nurse leader and one of the new employees working in the hospital.
• Conflict Resolution in Libraries of St. Lucie County The paper identifies the lack of social skills among the staff members and the unwillingness to resolve conflicts as a problem in the libraries of St. Lucie County.
• Conflict Resolution for Nurses in Acute Care Unit The conflict that will be discussed in this paper happened between several nurses working in the acute care unit and produced negative effects on several patients.
• Conflict Resolution in the Miami Hospital The paper describes in detail the particularities of the conflict between the nurse and nurse manager and outlines the stages of their conflict.
• Nursing Conflict Resolution Strategies The growing diversification of nurse responsibilities can lead to the emergence of conflicts, some of which cannot be resolved with immediate intervention.
• Conflict Resolution Strategies in Nursing Settings The targeted conflict occurred in the institution’s pediatric ward. The issue emerged when one of the female nurses in the ward indicated that the nurse manager (NM) was unfair.
• Renegotiation and Conflict Resolution in Relational Contracting
• Conflict Resolution and Resolving Workplace Conflicts
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Skills
• Conflict Resolution for Successful Work Teams
• Social Networking and Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills Among College Freshmen
• Brainstorming, Conflict Resolution, and Team Dynamics
• Conflict Resolution and Crime Surveillance in Kenya: Local Peace Committees and Nyumba Kumi
• Project Management Conflict Resolution
• Team Dynamics and Conflict Resolution Strategies Assignment
• Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation: An Irish Perspective
• Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution
• Conflict Resolution, Mediation, and Negotiation
• Toddlers, Preschool Children and Conflict Resolution
• The Need for Academic Integrated Conflict Resolution in Education
• The Conflict Resolution on the Land Use Conflict
• Conflict Resolution and Post-Conflict Reconstruction in the International
• Stress Management and Conflict Resolution
• Decision-Making and Conflict Resolution
• Models for Conflict Resolution in Ecosystem Management
• Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution for Children
• Parent-Teacher Conflict Resolution Interview
• Conflict Resolution and Civil Society: Experiences of Nepal in Post-Maoist Revolution
• What Are the Direct and Indirect Messages That Society Teaches Children About Conflict Resolution?
• How Can Constructive Tension and Negotiation Be Used in Conflict Resolution?
• Which Strategies for Conflict Resolution Would You Employ in Cases of Violent Ethnic Conflict?
• How Does Culture Influence Conflict Resolution?
• What Are the Conflict Resolution Strategies?
• Why Is Conflict Resolution Important?
• How Can Game Theory Be Viewed as a Conflict Resolution?
• What Is the Most Effective Way of Conflict Resolution?
• How Should Managers Handle Conflict Resolution and De-escalation in the Workplace?
• What Are the Steps in Conflict Resolution?
• How May Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management Approaches Be Applied in Educational Settings?
• What Is the Importance of Conflict Resolution?
• How Can Conflict Resolution Be Improved?
• What Type of Skill Is Conflict Resolution?
• How Can Enhancing Awareness Serve as a Means to Conflict Resolution?
• What Tools Can We Use in Conflict Resolution?
• Is There the Ethical Approach for Conflict Resolution and Mediation?
• What is Conflict Resolution and How Does It Work?
• Does the Childhood Maltreatment Modulate the Impact of Negative Emotional Stimuli on Conflict Resolution?
• What Are the Most Effective Workplace Conflict Resolution Strategies?
• Is Bringing Involved Parties Together to Talk the Most Effective Way of Conflict Resolution?
• Which Are the Best Techniques for Conflict Resolution?
• How to Improve Conflict Resolution Skills?
• What Are the Main Steps in Conflict Resolution According to Dr. Robert Bolton?
• What Are the Conflict Resolution Systems in Ireland and Sweden?

Cite this post

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2021, December 21). 131 Conflict Resolution Essay Topics. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/conflict-resolution-essay-topics/

"131 Conflict Resolution Essay Topics." StudyCorgi , 21 Dec. 2021, studycorgi.com/ideas/conflict-resolution-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . (2021) '131 Conflict Resolution Essay Topics'. 21 December.

1. StudyCorgi . "131 Conflict Resolution Essay Topics." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/conflict-resolution-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "131 Conflict Resolution Essay Topics." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/conflict-resolution-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "131 Conflict Resolution Essay Topics." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/conflict-resolution-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Conflict Resolution were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on December 27, 2023 .

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

124 Conflict Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Writing an essay on conflict can be both challenging and thought-provoking. Conflict is an unavoidable aspect of human existence, and it can manifest in various forms, such as interpersonal conflicts, societal conflicts, or even conflicts within oneself. To help you explore this complex topic, here are 124 conflict essay topic ideas and examples that can serve as a source of inspiration for your writing.

Interpersonal Conflicts:

• The impact of communication breakdown on interpersonal conflicts.
• Resolving conflicts in romantic relationships: Strategies for success.
• The role of empathy in resolving conflicts between friends.
• The influence of cultural differences on interpersonal conflicts.
• The effects of social media on conflict resolution in friendships.
• The connection between conflict and power dynamics in relationships.
• Conflict resolution strategies for dealing with difficult family members.
• The role of compromise in resolving conflicts between siblings.
• The impact of unresolved childhood conflicts on adult relationships.
• Conflict management techniques for resolving workplace disputes.

Societal Conflicts: 11. The causes and consequences of political conflicts in developing countries. 12. The role of social media in fueling societal conflicts. 13. The impact of religious conflicts on society. 14. The influence of socioeconomic disparities on societal conflicts. 15. The role of education in preventing societal conflicts. 16. The effects of ethnic conflicts on economic development. 17. The connection between gender inequality and societal conflicts. 18. The impact of globalization on societal conflicts. 19. The role of media in perpetuating societal conflicts. 20. Conflict resolution strategies for addressing racial tensions in society.

Internal Conflicts: 21. Exploring the internal conflict between personal desires and societal expectations. 22. The impact of self-doubt on internal conflicts. 23. Overcoming internal conflicts between ambition and contentment. 24. The role of fear in internal conflicts. 25. The connection between guilt and internal conflicts. 26. The effects of trauma on internal conflicts. 27. The influence of cultural norms on internal conflicts. 28. The role of self-reflection in resolving internal conflicts. 29. The impact of unresolved internal conflicts on mental health. 30. Strategies for achieving inner peace amidst internal conflicts.

Conflict in Literature and Film: 31. Analyzing the theme of conflict in Shakespeare's plays. 32. The portrayal of societal conflicts in dystopian literature. 33. Exploring the internal conflicts of the protagonist in a novel. 34. The role of external conflicts in driving the plot of a film. 35. The influence of conflict on character development in literature. 36. The depiction of interpersonal conflicts in romantic comedies. 37. The effects of war-related conflicts in historical novels. 38. Analyzing the symbolism of conflict in a poem. 39. The portrayal of family conflicts in contemporary literature. 40. The impact of moral conflicts on the actions of a film's protagonist.

Global Conflicts: 41. The causes and consequences of wars in the Middle East. 42. The role of diplomacy in resolving global conflicts. 43. The impact of climate change on international conflicts. 44. Analyzing the conflict between developed and developing nations. 45. The influence of resource scarcity on global conflicts. 46. The connection between terrorism and global conflicts. 47. The effects of colonialism on current global conflicts. 48. The role of international organizations in preventing conflicts. 49. The impact of nuclear weapons on global conflicts. 50. Conflict resolution strategies for achieving world peace.

Conflict in History: 51. The causes and outcomes of the American Civil War. 52. Analyzing the conflicts of World War I from multiple perspectives. 53. The influence of ideological conflicts on the Cold War. 54. The effects of colonial conflicts on the decolonization process. 55. The connection between religious conflicts and the Crusades. 56. The impact of territorial disputes on conflicts in Southeast Asia. 57. Exploring the conflicts surrounding the French Revolution. 58. The role of nationalism in fueling conflicts in the Balkans. 59. The effects of conflicts on the rise and fall of empires. 60. Analyzing the conflicts during the Civil Rights Movement.

Conflict in Science and Technology: 61. The ethical dilemmas and conflicts in genetic engineering. 62. The impact of conflicts between scientific progress and religious beliefs. 63. The role of conflicts in the development of artificial intelligence. 64. Analyzing conflicts between privacy and surveillance in the digital age. 65. The effects of conflicts between environmental conservation and industrial development. 66. The connection between conflicts in scientific research and funding. 67. The influence of conflicts over intellectual property in technology. 68. Exploring conflicts in bioethics and medical advancements. 69. The impact of conflicts between scientific evidence and public opinion. 70. Analyzing conflicts in the regulation of emerging technologies.

Conflict in Sports: 71. The effects of conflicts between athletes and team management. 72. The role of conflicts in sports rivalries. 73. Analyzing conflicts between players and referees in sports. 74. The impact of conflicts between fans and players on sports events. 75. The connection between conflicts in sports and nationalism. 76. The influence of conflicts in sports doping scandals. 77. Exploring conflicts between athletes' personal beliefs and sports regulations. 78. The effects of conflicts between sports teams and sponsors. 79. The role of conflict resolution in sports coaching. 80. Analyzing conflicts in gender equality and representation in sports.

Conflict and Social Justice: 81. The causes and consequences of conflicts in the fight against racial discrimination. 82. The influence of conflicts in gender equality movements. 83. The impact of conflicts in LGBTQ+ rights advocacy. 84. Analyzing conflicts in the pursuit of disability rights. 85. The connection between conflicts in immigration policies and social justice. 86. The effects of conflicts in environmental activism. 87. Exploring conflicts in the criminal justice system and prison reform. 88. The role of conflicts in indigenous rights movements. 89. The impact of conflicts in economic inequality and wealth distribution. 90. Analyzing conflicts in the fight against human trafficking.

Conflict and Education: 91. The causes and outcomes of conflicts in school settings. 92. The influence of conflicts between teachers and students on academic performance. 93. The effects of conflicts in standardized testing and educational policies. 94. The connection between conflicts in school bullying and mental health. 95. The role of conflicts in the inclusion of students with disabilities. 96. The impact of conflicts in educational funding and resource allocation. 97. Analyzing conflicts in the implementation of multicultural education. 98. The effects of conflicts in teacher unions and labor rights. 99. The role of conflict resolution in promoting a positive school climate. 100. Exploring conflicts in educational equity and access.

Conflict and Health: 101. The causes and consequences of conflicts in healthcare systems. 102. The influence of conflicts in medical ethics and patient care. 103. The impact of conflicts in vaccination policies and public health. 104. Analyzing conflicts in access to healthcare and healthcare disparities. 105. The effects of conflicts in mental health stigma and treatment. 106. The connection between conflicts in medical research and informed consent. 107. The role of conflicts in the pharmaceutical industry and drug pricing. 108. Exploring conflicts in end-of-life care and euthanasia. 109. The effects of conflicts in reproductive rights and healthcare. 110. Analyzing conflicts in alternative medicine and traditional healthcare systems.

Conflict and Technology: 111. The causes and consequences of conflicts in online privacy. 112. The influence of conflicts in cybersecurity and data breaches. 113. The impact of conflicts in artificial intelligence and job displacement. 114. Analyzing conflicts in social media regulation and freedom of speech. 115. The effects of conflicts in digital divide and access to technology. 116. The connection between conflicts in online harassment and mental health. 117. The role of conflicts in technology addiction and screen time. 118. Exploring conflicts in the regulation of autonomous vehicles. 119. The impact of conflicts in copyright infringement and intellectual property. 120. Analyzing conflicts in technology-based surveillance and civil liberties.

Conflict and the Environment: 121. The causes and consequences of conflicts in climate change policies. 122. The influence of conflicts in natural resource extraction and conservation. 123. The impact of conflicts in environmental activism and protests. 124. Analyzing conflicts in land rights and indigenous environmentalism.

These essay topic ideas and examples cover a wide range of conflict-related themes and can serve as a starting point for your writing. Remember to choose a topic that interests you and aligns with your essay's purpose. Good luck with your essay, and may your exploration of conflict deepen your understanding of the world around you.

Want to create a presentation now?

Instantly Create A Deck

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Hassle Free

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2023 Pitchgrade

128 Conflict Management Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best conflict management topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on conflict management, ⭐ simple & easy conflict management essay titles, ❓ essay questions on conflict management.

• Conflict Management Essay The process of conflict management in organizations requires determination and participation of two parties, employees and the management. Furthermore, the employer should be empathetic to the employees and should be concerned of any problem with […]
• How to Resolve Conflict in Workplace Essay In fact, one of the roles of management in an organisation is to ensure peaceful environment that is characterised by workforce collaboration in the effort to meet the goals, mission, and aims of an organisation. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Schneider National Inc.’s Conflict Management Lofgren believes that task conflict will help the company in mediating the points of conflict in the company by making sound decisions that help in the growth of the business.
• Educational Administration: Conflict Management and Resolution Therefore, it will take the energy of a strong character to sort out the conflict between people. This also makes the other person in conflict to perceive the conflict as imaginary and of no consequence.
• Conflict Management as a Study Subject Reflection In the following journal entries, I will summarize my thoughts and ideas after exploring the module’s activities and lectures and discuss some theories and practices in relation to my past and future experiences.
• Conflict Management in “The Avengers” Movie This character trait is often sought after by managers in their employees since this often indicates that this individual is more willing to work with others and will do as they are told for the […]
• Communication and Conflict Management in Nursing It is essential to emphasize that to reduce the burden on the nurse and the number of inquiries to patients, and it is necessary to use reflexive listening.
• Conflict in the Public Sector: Management and Resolution This occurs due to the varying attitudes of people and understanding among the different clients; considering all these facts, the public sector needs to design strategies that would prove to be helpful in dealing with […]
• Internal Managerial Conflicts: Jones and Shephard Accountants, Inc. The success of projects will to a large extent rely on the interests, support, and commitment of the senior management. A deep analysis of the organizational structure of Jones and Shephard Accountants, Inc.is prone to […]
• Managing Conflict Situations in Nursing In this case, it is necessary to use a collaborative conflict management style that is said to be one of the most useful variants.
• Etisalat Company’s Conflict Management Practices Conflict management serves as a vital component of modern management to achieve the prosperity and success of a company. This dimension is most applicable for the selection and application of a relevant organizational conflict management […]
• Inter-Jurisdictional Conflict Management The term could also mean the extent of power or items that such power controls or protects.”Inter” means between or among, therefore, inter-jurisdictional conflict signifies a conflict among two or more powers over something that […]
• Conflict Management in Japanese Culture Japan and its culture truly represent the cultural compromise that determines the development of the entire Japanese spiritual tradition.
• The Police Agency’ Conflict Management In the police agency, parties may use the collaboration strategy involving information sharing, openness, and elucidation of the various conflicting issues not only to reach a common ground that is satisfactory to the conflicting parties […]
• Change Management and Conflict Resolution in Communities The different levels of perceptions on emerging issues among the members of the community are the source of conflicts. The management of such conflicts augments the quality of the choices in the project’s operation processes.
• Conflict Management: Simple Rules for Avoiding and Resolving Conflicts In order for the workplace to be a welcoming environment in which conflicts are rare occurrences, it is essential to establish an organizational culture based on respect and equality.
• Importance of Conflict Management Given that a conflict or at least the predisposition for it is thought to be a natural feature of the human experience, it is guaranteed to occur, especially in the turbulent world of healthcare, with […]
• Creating Ideal Teams: Conflict Management in Teams During my employment, I noticed that the essential step that led to high satisfaction and increased performance of a team lies in its creation.
• Aspects of the Conflict Management An example of a time I used a conflict resolution strategy was when I attempted to bring the parties involved in a conflict together so they could talk.
• Event Management and Evaluation With Conflict Theory As such, the event and the performance of the staff and the managerial team worked in accordance to appropriately provide for them.
• Managing a Sexual Harassment Conflict at Sony In Sony, as in any other company, conflicts also occur, and managers strive to establish a common language between all sides involved, though the result of the conflict may be disappointing for one of the […]
• Conflict Management in Healthcare Conflict management: a crucial part of the clinical environment; Potential sources of conflict: hierarchy issues and interdisciplinary concerns; Case under analysis: misunderstanding between an anesthesiologist and a surgeon; Cause: a misconception caused by underlying […]
• Conflict Management: Conversations With Difficult People The consequence of conflicts in a workplace is a decrease in customer satisfaction, a significant turnover, and a decrease in labor productivity.
• Managing Authorship Conflicts in Educational Institutions However, scientists are people like everyone else, trying to make a career and forced to comply with the requirements for the publication of scientific papers; they often lie, cheat and take advantage of students.
• Leadership: Conflict and Conflict Management Overall, the concept of leadership and additional terms that are embedded into it are quite flexible because they can be aligned with specific individual characteristics and objectives that a person is pursuing.
• Pediatric Operating Room: Conflict Management Strategies For example, in the pediatric care unit, when the patient needs long-term care, conflict occurs mainly between the parents and the care team due to differences in the religious and cultural beliefs of the parents.
• Discussion: Managing Conflict of Interest A review of the literature revealed that promoting transparency and accountability, and implementing policies and regulations that stimulate adherence, are critical in managing conflicts of interest.
• Five Conflict Management Styles The performance formula is directly linked to the coaching model in that the performance formula helps determine one’s reasons for low performance and the improvement action required.
• Conflict Management in the Healthcare Workplace Conflict management at the workplace is one of the crucial elements related to the organization of work in healthcare facilities. Consequently, if ignored or not handled adequately, the disputes between the colleges at the workplace […]
• Transformative Mediation: Conflict Management Consequently, the role of a transformative mediator is to support parties in shifting toward the recognition of the causes of their conflict and empower them to take action toward change.
• Interpersonal Conflict: Management, Economics and Industrial Organization A healthy and effective interaction strengthens the relationship of the people involved, and information is easily conveyed. Communication is the foundation of every interpersonal interaction, and it is crucial to a long-lasting and healthy relationship.
• Conflict Management in Human Services This implies that I am relatively flexible in my attempts to solve the problem and I always want to make the opinion of the opposing party count.
• Conflict Management: Styles, Strategies, and Their Effect A closer look at the phenomenon in question will reveal that a conflict map works as a method of arranging the facts related to a particular problem in a specific order so that the links […]
• Conflict Management Efficiency in Team Leaders The team leader is also responsible for ensuring that all the team players in the organization are motivated in the areas of work, in which they are involved; in the running of the organization’s activities.
• Communication and Conflict Management But since women have a compromising nature and are normally found to be in listening instead of in lecturing roles, we find Linda listening coolly to frank and telling him to try and talk directly […]
• Humor Application in Conflict Management: Facilitating and Regulating Communication To an extent, the value of humor can be explained by the fact that it helps to establish a more relaxed atmosphere, the quality sometimes needed at a workplace.
• Applying Constructive Conflict Management to a Conflict The prelude phase describes the situation that made the conflict possible, taking into account its participants, their relationship, and the environment where the conflict takes place.
• Effective Business Meetings and Conflict Management A good meeting should stick to the agenda and deal with matters that are relevant to the items of agenda. Organizers can seize the benefits of communication technology to ensure success of a meeting.
• International Journal of Conflict Management Critique The chapters in the journal article tackle a variety of large and small disputes and conflicts that take place in organizations and groups.
• Conflict Management Concepts Implementation and Outcomes The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the implementation of the conflict management concepts and to analyze this process along with the outcomes.
• Intergroup Conflict and Its Management Therefore, it must also be considered as a valuable asset that would allow this group to resolve the conflict by exchanging thoughts and opinions.
• Conflict Management Approaches The strategy that can be considered accepted is the one in which the outcome of the conflict is positive for the organization in general.
• Understanding Conflict Management The lack of team dynamics in the workplace results in the cropping up of conflicts. In this case the key issues and the grievances must be taken care of before it affects the overall performance […]
• Conflict Management in Empyrean Company First of all, Kensworthy may have considered himself a great investor in the company and therefore felt that he had a right to promotion and management in the company.
• Conflict Management and Negotiations In the event that compromising is used as the approach in this conflict situation, the manager will be talked to by a colleague into accepting the fact that has to have the one-hour extension in […]
• Conflict Management: Teambuilding and Dynamics Each team has to perform the assigned task and in addition it must coordinate with other teams to ensure smooth progress in operations.
• Human Communication and Conflict Management in Family I must admit that the communication styles I learned brought me back to the days in my family where there were a lot of communication styles that I had to contend with.
• Conflict Management Challenges in Trade Unions This step will help the owner to reduce negative feelings and misunderstanding between the trade union and the company. This step will help the owner to create a positive atmosphere and explain the situation to […]
• Food Merchandising Corporation’s Conflict Management Everyone is aware of the high rate of failure of start-up and first time entrepreneurs are always fired up to start a business only to declare bankruptcy later on due to many unforeseen problems or […]
• Conflict Management Styles Applied in Healthcare In the mentioned above conflict, the patient was a young woman, whose parents wanted to visit her often throughout the day.
• Theater Stage Manager’s Conflict Resolution Assuming the role of the mediator in managing the conflict between the friends, I had to use my knowledge gained when studying to become a stage manager because of the need to initiate the productive […]
• Managing Organizational Conflict: Rahim’s Meta Model In addition, they are trained to minimize the degree of differences between the two sides of a conflict and highlighting common points of view that are likely to satisfy the involved parties.
• Conflict Management Styles: Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin There are various conflict management styles that help in solving conflicts and which could be useful in solving the conflict in the case of Zimmerman vs.
• Positive Conflict Management Strategies At the confrontation stage, other individuals, not party to the conflict, begin to take sides and gather information on the conflict.
• Concourse Equity Inc.’s Conflict Management The triggering events in the conflict between Luther and Rihanna happened when Luther made a Chauvinist comment about Rihanna by saying that she ought to be in the kitchen cooking tea for men in the […]
• Managerial Conflict Resolution for Marketing Team The report that I have indicates that the main issue in regards to this standoff is that your team wants the project to progress as a TV campaign, while your colleagues are adamant that it […]
• Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism’s Conflict Management The concept of Sulha, although not directly outlined in the organization’s code of conduct, is the main driving instrument of internal conflict resolution in the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.
• Masdar City Project and Conflict Management Despite the noble vision that the founders and financiers of this project have, it is important to appreciate that conflicts may emerge.
• Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s Conflict Management In the case of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the absence of a coherent conflict management technique may cause the organization to fail in its endeavor at making the sport popular among the UAE citizens.
• Conflict Management in Nursing Decision-Making The key objective of this work is to assess conflict management styles as the basic mechanisms for resolving controversial situations in the decision-making process in nursing communities.
• Marbles Construction Company’s Conflict Management The 2009 agreement was meant to safeguard the interests of both the company and the employees. Most of the supervisors and mid-level managers were in support of the workers’ requests and this made it difficult […]
• Conflict Management: Importance and Implications First of all, the author perceives the concept of conflict and conflict management from the perspective of positive conflict resolution, addressing the root causes of conflicts.
• Singapore Airlines Conflict Management and Negotiation The study will entail analysis of the policies used by Singapore Airlines to manage conflicts among employees, the ethical dilemma facing the HR staff, and the alternative solutions.
• Conflict Resolution in Management Teams The behavioral and social cognition features of the relationships suggest that managerial tasks and relationships are the key attributes of incompatibilities that in organizations.
• Customer Service Conflict Management Strategies The key difficulty is, therefore, to find out what type of customer the support is dealing with and, thus, to choose the appropriate strategy to calm him/her down.
• Employee Motivation, Conflict and Personnel Management The other managerial issue in the case is that of conflict management and resolution. The two were not only long serving members of the organization but had also advanced in age, thus making their conflict […]
• Riordan Manufacturing: Diversity and Conflict Management Whenever a change is introduced in an organization, it is quite common for employees to respond with mixed reactions in spite of the benefits associated with the same change. It is imperative to note that […]
• Role of Coaching in Conflict Management The case is different in Japan since the achievements of the group play an important role in the success of the organization as compared to individual efforts.
• Management Issues: Conflict Mediation It is very important that the leaders of such companies apply the skills of conflict mediation in order not to let the interpersonal relationships influence the effectiveness of the business process and the organization’s success.
• Managing Conflicts: U.S. Harvest Scandal Therefore, it can be considered that once the USA Harvest organization had established the principles of transparency as the basis for its organizational strategy, the failure would have been avoided.
• Conflict Management in the Healthcare Sector In a bid to ensure that medical practitioners are able to treat and adapt to new changes in healthcare, change must take place.
• Workplace Group Problems: Conflict Management and Dynamics If a group engages in destructive conflict, then the outcomes can result in loss of the main objectives in the quest for sub-group interests, encourage the committee members to be defensive, and may results in […]
• Selina Lo’s Conflict Management in Ruckus Wireless Company Selina Lo must learn these styles in order to accommodate her new employees and establish a culture of managing conflict and negotiation in Ruckus Wireless.
• Conflict Prevention in Project Management To this end, it is essential to iron out these differences prior to commencement of the project because if the expectations vary then the outcomes are also likely to vary as well.
• Effectiveness of Various Conflict Management Practices In the same way, the unfolding of the conflict will determine if the conflict at the workplace has positive and negative effects to the organization.
• Conflict Management in Organizational Teams A calendar that indicates deadlines for various tasks should be displayed on a clearly visible point to remind the employee of the urgency of the task.
• Managing Conflict: Decision-Making Process in Organizations Conflicts in this institution also arise from among the physicians, the management team and physicians and between other professionals and the physicians.
• Managing Conflict in People in Organizations The sources of conflicts include cultural differences, organizational structure and the personality orientations of the employees. In conclusion, personal conflicts can be attributed to personality orientation, goal incongruence and the expected level of performance.
• Tesco PLC Constructive Conflict Management This will lead to fruitful corporation within the organization and the external environment. This will result to the success of both the organization and employees.
• Managing Internal and External Conflicts Given the adverse effects of stress, the ability to manage stress is a critical aspect in conflict resolution. As the discussion above has elucidated, there are a variety of conflict management strategies that can be […]
• Organizational Behavior, Motivation and Conflict Management For instance, in an organization motivation is low in the absence of the three functions while it is high when valence is positive and expectancy and instrumentality are high.
• Effective Conflict Management in Planning Firstly, the planner must have the knowledge of the possible kinds of conflict that may arise in the course of planning.
• Crisis Communication and Conflict Management in Health Care Environment Crisis communication and response have a large significance in restoring the organization’s status and their effectiveness depends on skills of the crisis communicators and their understanding of crisis management.
• Conflict Management and Organizational Roles To put an end to such misunderstanding in the office, the individual roles should be clearly established beforehand by the senior member of staff who overlooks the whole working body of staff members.
• Conflict Essence in the Management Setting In studying conflict management and theories that explain the rationale behind it, this essay is going to focus on one type of conflict. As a remedy to interpersonal conflict, this theory demands understanding of the […]
• “Organizational Communication and Conflict Management” by Kenan Spaho The author goes further to explore the relevance of conflicts in an organization. It is the duty of managers and supervisors to deal with all types of conflicts in their organizations.
• Human Resource Management and Conflict Resolution Within the scope of the study, the author has chosen an important and debatable topic because human resource management is one of the most important issues affecting all institutions in the modern world.
• The Mediating Role of Trust: Conflict Management Styles in Managers The article by Chan et al.is relevant to the issue of conflict management in the workplace as it explores the concept of leadership and open communication in conflict resolution.
• Negotiation in Conflict Management Process The presented solutions should be enlightened by the prevailing problems and be considerate of all parties in conflict. All members of a team in negotiation should recognize the relationship and be willing to make the […]
• Conflict Management Strategies Thus, one needs to have a clear understanding of the characteristics of the team members and the responses that they have in the process of a conflict in determining the strategy that he/she will use […]
• Constructive Conflict Management in Tesco Tesco’s internal conflict with its employees has so far been dealt inappropriately resulting in the escalation of tension and the company’s perception by both employees and consumers has suffered.
• Overview of Conflict Management In order to understand the significance and role of conflict in organizational management, as well as the causes of disagreements in the employed environment, conflict definitions should be identified.
• Effective Management of Conflicts in Organizations The human resource management should constantly track the signals of conflict in the organization in order to solve it in time to avoid hostile encounters and emotional outburst which negatively impact on the image of […]
• Manager’s Role in Averting Negativity and Conflicts This often leads to poor performance of the employees and the entire company. Instead of simply declaring the need to work more, the manager can develop a strategy to avoid probable negative attitude.
• Conflict Management Skills: Andy & J This is a skill that seemed to be well mastered by Andy; he employed this together with the rest of the skills made his discussion with J a successful.
• Conflict Management: Enhancing a Peaceful Coexistence By the right attitude, it means that employees work harder to benefit the organization so that they benefit from the productivity, and not working harder in order to compete with their colleagues.
• Organizational Conflict Management Third, each of the departments will be encouraged to be emphatic towards the other. They will promote acknowledgement and listening to the views of each of the departments.
• Conflict Management System Design and Introduction In order to design an effective conflict management system, data has to be collected on the type of conflict affecting an organization so as to establish the type of conflict to address given that conflict […]
• Managing Conflict and Workplace Relationships In the case above, it is important for the manager to maintain calmness and approach the situation without any predetermined conclusions.
• Conflict Management as the Essential Quality of a Leader Conflict management is one of the essential qualities of a good manager especially in a world that has a wide range of challenges to be confronted.
• Toolkit for Conflict Management Change is the process of improving the organizations processes and employees performance with the intention of increasing productivity. Also, with the use of suggestion boxes, the employees are able to write down their views and […]
• Managing Conflict in Organizations For management teams to find workable and viable solutions to conflicts, it is important for such teams to consider the underlying causes of conflicts, the behavior of the involved groups or individuals, and the nature […]
• Conflict Resolution and Management: How Does It Work? In addressing conflict resolution and management, it is equally important to appreciate the role of emotions in influencing decisions, stances and direction of interests.
• How Many Resolution Methods Are There for Conflict Management?
• What Is the Best Conflict Management Style?
• How Does Mediation Work in Conflict Management?
• What Are the Benefits of Effective Conflict Management?
• Why Is Conflict Management an Important Skill?
• Is a Collaborative Negotiation Style the Most Effective Form of Conflict Management?
• What Is the Most Important Tool in Conflict Management?
• Are There Negative Outcomes of Conflict Management?
• What Is the Importance of Conflict Management at the Workplace?
• How Do You Handle Difficult Conflict Management?
• What Is the Best Conflict Management Strategy?
• What Makes a Good Conflict Management?
• How Are Leadership and Conflict Management Related?
• What Is the Main Goal of Conflict Management?
• Is There a Universal Key to Conflict Management?
• What Is the Role of Conflict Management in the Success of a Team?
• Is the Competing Conflict Management Style the Most Assertive?
• Why Is Emotional Intelligence Important for Conflict Management?
• What Are the Main Issues of Conflict Management in Business?
• Is There a Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Management Style?
• What Is Accommodating Conflict Management Style?
• Is Conflict Management a Soft Skill?
• What Is the Source of Conflict Management?
• How Can a Company Improve Conflict Management?
• What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Conflict Management?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 2). 128 Conflict Management Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/conflict-management-essay-topics/

"128 Conflict Management Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 2 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/conflict-management-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '128 Conflict Management Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 2 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "128 Conflict Management Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/conflict-management-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "128 Conflict Management Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/conflict-management-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "128 Conflict Management Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/conflict-management-essay-topics/.

• Conflict Resolution Essay Topics
• Crisis Communication Essay Ideas
• Stress Management Paper Topics
• Dispute Resolution Questions
• Economic Topics
• Management Styles Essay Titles
• Family Businesses Questions
• Construction Management Research Topics
• Team Management Paper Topics
• Management Skills Research Topics
• Nonprofit Organizations Paper Topics
• Organizational Design Topics
• Problem Solving Essay Ideas
• Time Management Essay Titles
• Hospitality Management Essay Ideas