A Social-Psychological Approach To Conflict Resolution: Interactive Problem Solving

Track II diplomacy has gained currency on the international scene since the last quarter of the twentieth century. Herbert C. Kelman, a leading scholar in social sciences and a pioneer in interactive conflict resolution, has contributed to this field by applying social-psychological concepts to the analysis and resolution of conflict. In this article, the conceptual basis of Kelman’s interactive problem solving approach will be appraised as well as his work on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israeli-Palestinian workshops that Kelman and his colleagues held for more than twenty years have been influential especially in the prenegotiation process leading to the Oslo Agreement.

Keywords:

Conflict resolution, problem-solving workshops prenegotiation,

PDF

___

Aubert, V. (1963). Competition and Dissensus: Two Types of Conflict Resolution. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 6, 26-42.
Azar, E.E. (1990). The Management of Protracted Social Conflict. Hampshire, England: Dartmouth.
Burton, J.W. (1990). Conflict: Resolution and Provention. London: Macmillan.
Burton, J. W. (1987). Resolving Deep-rooted Conflict: A Handbook. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Deaux, K., Dane, F.C., & Wrightsman, L.S. (1993). Social Psychology in the ‘90s. Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Druckman, D. (1997). “Negotiating in the International Context.” In I.W. Zartman & J.L. Rasmussen (Eds.), Peacemaking in International Conflict: Methods and Techniques. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press.
Fisher, R. J. (1997). Interactive Conflict Resolution. New York: Syracuse University Press.
Fisher, R. J. (2005). (Ed.) Paving the Way: Contributions of Interactive Conflict Resolution to Peacemaking. Lanham: Lexington Books.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Heider, F. (1958). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. New York: Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Jones, E.E. & Nisbett, R.E. (1971). “The Actor and the Observer: Divergent Perceptions of the Causes of Behavior.” In E.E. Jones et al. (Eds.) Attribution: Perceiving the Causes of Behaviour. Morristown, NJ: General Learning Press.
Kelman, H. C. (1990). “Applying a Human Needs Perspective to the Practice of Conflict Resolution: The Israeli-Palestinian Case.” In J. W. Burton (Ed.), Conflict: Human Needs Theory. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Kelman, H. C. (1991). “Interactive Problem Solving: The Uses and Limits of a Therapeutic Model for the Resolution of International Conflicts.” In The Psychodynamics of International Relationships. Volume II: Unofficial Diplomacy at Work. (Eds.) V.D. Volkan, J. Montville, D.A. Julius (145-160). Lexington, Mass: Lexington Books.
Kelman, H. C. (1992). “Informal Mediation by the Scholar-Practitioner.” In J. Bercovitch and J. Rubin (Eds.), Mediation in International Relations: Multiple Approaches to Conflict Management. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Kelman, H. C. (1993). “Coalitions Across Conflict Lines: The Interplay of Conflicts Within and Between the Israeli and Palestinian Communities”. In S. Worcel & J. Simpson (Eds.), Conflict Between People and Groups (236-258). Chicago: Nelson Hall.
Kelman, H. C. (1995). “Contributions of an Unofficial Conflict Resolution Effort to the Israeli-Palestinian Breakthrough”. Negotiation Journal, 11, 19-27.
Kelman, H. C. (1997). “Social-Psychological Dimensions of International Conflict.” In I.W. Zartman & J.L. Rasmussen (Eds.), Peacemaking in International Conflict: Methods and Techniques. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press.
Kelman, H. C. (2005). “Interactive Problem Solving in the Israeli-Palestinian Case”. In R. J. Fisher (Ed.) Paving the Way: Contributions of Interactive Conflict Resolution to Peacemaking (41-63). Lanham: Lexington Books
Kelman, H. C. (2009). “A Social-Psychological Approach to Conflict Analysis and Resolution.” In D. Sandole, S.Byrne, I. Sandole-Staroste, & J. Senehi (Eds.), Handbook of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. New York: Routledge.
Kimmel, P.R. (2000). “Culture and Conflict.” In M. Deutsch & P.T. Coleman (Eds.), The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Kriesberg, L.(1998). “Constructive Conflicts: From Escalation to Resolution.” In D. A. Lake & D. S. Rothchild (Eds.), The International Spread of Ethnic Conflict: Fear, Diffusion and Escalation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Lumsden, M. & R. Wolfe. (1996). “Evolution of the Problem-Solving Workshop: An Introduction to Social-Psychological Approaches to Conflict Resolution”. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2 (1), 37-67.
Mitchell, C. (1990). “Necessitous Man and Conflict Resolution: More Basic Questions About Basic Human Needs Theory”. In J. Burton (Ed.), Conflict: Human Needs Theory (149-176). New York: St. Martin’s.
Pruitt, D. &J.Z. Rubin. (1986). Social Conflict: Escalation, Stalemate and Settlement. New York: Random House.
Rothman, J. (1997). Resolving Identity-Based Conflict in Nations, Organizations, and Communities. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Rouhana, N. N., & Kelman, H. C. (1994). “Promoting Joint Thinking in International Conflicts: An Israeli-Palestinian Continuing Workshop”. Journal of Social Issues, 50, 178.
Wallensteen, P., & K. Axell. (1994). “Conflict Resolution and the End of the Cold War, 1993.” Journal of Peace Research, 31, pp.333-49.
www.globalsecurity.org/military/index.html - United Nations data