Advanced Introduction to Conflict Resolution

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.

Douglas P. Fry analyses the function and impacts of human conflict resolution through a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary lens. Drawing on a wide range of knowledge – including non-Western and Indigenous perspectives – he evaluates the role of reconciliation in communities, highlighting the importance of justice-seeking, social equality and the restoration of relationships.

Fry investigates both the positive and negative impacts of the law of reciprocity on human conflict resolution. He demonstrates how cultures generally strive to seek nonviolent paths to justice, pursuing balanced and equitable outcomes. Alongside the primary approaches – compensatory and conciliatory – this accessible book explores notions of fair and unfair punishment, including the desire for and consequences of revenge.