Project on Constructive Engagement Theory
Overview: The importance and difficulty of eliciting and sustaining constructive forms of conflict engagement from the multitude of stakeholders caught up in situations of protracted social conflict cannot be overemphasized. Ripeness theory has been a useful starting point for understanding key underlying motives of disputants, but has limited explanatory power under these more complex, intractable conditions. However, a great deal of insight is emerging from work that is currently being conducted on the ground by scholar-practitioners employed in peace and democratization work in these settings. This research, begun in 2004, was aimed at eliciting this knowledge for theory and practice. We explore two levels. On a conceptual level, we are interested in better comprehending the nature of the underlying motives and constraints involved in different stakeholders’ decisions and actions surrounding conflict engagement. On a practical level, we are interested in identifying the specific strategies and tactics used by change agents to create the conditions for disputants to move away from destructive and deadly interactions towards more constructive and sustainable forms of conflict engagement. The research explored some of the various models and methods of constructive engagement currently being utilized with different groups in the fields of conflict resolution, peacemaking, dialogue and public engagement. Our aim was to elicit the core dimensions of the phenomenon of constructive engagement for the purpose of developing more robust theories and practices. It was published as a 2-paper series in Conflict Resolution Quarterly in 2008 (Coleman, Hacking, Stover, Fisher-Yoshida, & Nowak, A., 2008; Coleman, Fisher-Yoshida, Stover, Hacking, & Bartoli, 2008).Publications from this project
Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Coleman, P. T. (1997). Redefining ripeness: A social-psychological perspective. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 3(1). Abstract Ripeness is a construct of tremendous importance to both conflict resolution theory and practice. The conceptualizations of this construct in the literature, … Continue reading →
Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Coleman, P. T. (2000). Fostering ripeness in seemingly intractable conflict: An experimental study. International Journal of Conflict Management, 11(4), 300-317. Abstract: Disputant 'ripeness' is a state and a process of critical importance to the resolution of seemingly intractable conflict. Fostering … Continue reading →
Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Coleman, P. T., Fisher-Yoshida, B., Stover, M., Hacking, A., and Bartoli, A. (2008). Reconstructing ripeness II: Models and methods for fostering constructive stakeholder engagement across protracted divides. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 26(1), 43-69. Abstract A priority objective for diplomats, mediators, negotiators, … Continue reading →