Constructive Conflicts

From Escalation to Resolution

Constructive Conflicts provides a framework for analyzing social conflicts of all kinds, with emphasis on how conflicts can lead to positive change. The fifth edition of this comprehensive and highly-regarded book has been updated and revised throughout. The book introduces key principles, uses a wide range of case studies, applies core ideas about conflicts, synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives, and shares the latest research. Louis Kriesberg and Bruce W. Dayton examine the many factors that cause social conflicts to move more or less constructively through a series of stages: emergence, escalation, de-escalation, becoming transformed and settled, and often emerging again in new forms. This fifth edition pays increased attention to the significant role of social movements and non-governmental organizations as conflict actors, the use of non-coercive but persuasive means for both escalating and de-escalating conflicts, and the kinds of post-conflict activities that are most likely to result in enduring peace.