Psychological Aspects of Conflict and Resolutions Essay

Questions Concerning the Psychology of Conflict and Conflict

Resolution

The conflict between Israel and the surrounding Arab neighbors with

which it has frequently come to blows is precipitated on a host of

territorial, historical, ethnic and political terms. However, with the

significant gains made to the peace process in Israel's first regional

accord, signed with Egypt in 1979, it gained a powerful partner in undoing

the psychological implications overarching the specificities of Middle-East

conflict.

In the Class 1 lectures on psychological barriers to conflict

resolution, we are made more fully aware of the impact which impression

building can have on the psychological makeup of a conflict. With Egyptian

PM Anwar Sadat beginning the process of opening up toward peace by making a

1977 visit to Israel, our lectures denote that no major compromises or

resolutions were achieved but that the ball then began to roll much faster

toward a formal recognition of peace. To my view, this would be because an

impression of greater trust and recognition of a willingness to proceed to

compromise had been built amongst the Israeli's on the basis of Sadat's

words and actions.

Beyond the psychological effect of impression building, Sadat's words

would explicitly recognize that there was a commonality of interest in

their peaceable relations. He would contend that "there remains anotherGet full access
for only $8.97. wall. This wall constitutes a psychological barrier between us, a barrier

of suspicion, a barrier of rejection, a barrier of fear, of deception....

This psychological barrier [constitutes] 70 percent of the whole problem."

(Class 1, 5) Noting the emotional realities of a relationship traumatized

by mutual abuses, Sadat's statement would help to resolve my understanding

of the Mid-East conflict. This is true insofar as the psychological

barriers both of impression construction and emotional entrenchment, while

not undone by a peace treaty that would ultimately lead to Sadat's

Essay on Psychological Aspects of Conflict and Resolutions Assignment

assassination at the hands of anti-Israeli extremist, would produce a

lasting peace between the nations. This presents a template for how to

psychologically initiate the long process of bringing peace between Israel

and other neighboring states.

The discussion on the psychological aspects of conflict illustrate

that though interstate conflicts will display a wide variance of case

histories and implications, that there nonetheless remain certain constants

defining the nature of conflict on the whole. This is particularly the

case with intractable conflicts, which earn this definition for the extent

to which these common characteristics make their aims seem so elusive.

First, it is sensible to describe those conflict which are tractable

in nature, so described because their aims and the prospects of resolution

do become more achievable. Again, here, we denote the commonality

stringing together a diverse set of possible conflicts. A tractable

conflict often will be one based on political disagreement or diplomatic

breakdown in spite of mutual aims. Also a commonality of the tractable

conflict is the somewhat shared political orientation of participants.

Where democratically oriented nations our concerned, the predicating

interest in retaining peace even in the face of minor or major diplomatic

disagreements means that conflict resolution will be attended in the halls

of international forum rather than on the battlefields.

This is not always possible of course, and as history demonstrates,

ethnicity is a major factor which often draws deeply ingrained and inborn

differences betwixt diverging parties. As our lectures denote, "the sheer

passion expended in pursuing ethnic conflict calls out for an explanation

that does justice to the realm of feelings. It is necessary to account, not

merely for ambition, but for antipathy. A bloody phenomenon cannot be

explained by a bloodless theory. (Horowitz, 1985, p. 140)" (Class 7-8, 2)

Another feature of the intractable conflict that is implicated by

ethnicity, but can also take on forms of religious dedication, historically

intertwined territorial differences or resistance to foreign occupation, is

that of emotional regulation. The gap in interests denotes that one party

or both have entered into the conflict with intent to influence processes

of resolution by shaping emotional responses of conflicting parties.

3. Big Question - 50%- 2 pages

The attempt at brokering peace in the Middle East has long been the

province of the United States. As Israel's strongest international

supporter and a nation declaredly invested in encouraging the improvement

of democracy throughout the global community, the United States has long

taken an interest in the opportunities provided it in war and peace through

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