Abstract
In our tribute, we discuss the international influence of Bar-Tal’s work on intergroup conflicts and his objective to develop a general theory of intractable conflict. On one hand, the application of social-psychological theory across contexts is consistent with Bar-Tal’s own metatheoretical approach to abstract more general processes, beyond sociohistorical contingencies. On the other hand, the development of a general theory might contrast with his methodological plea for observing socio-psychological dynamics within their specific societal contexts. We take this creative tension a bit further to discuss how Bar-Tal’s lifetime work problematizes traditional paradigmatic oppositions between fundamental and applied research, or between nomothetic and idiographic approaches in the social science. His multifaceted contribution invites social psychologists to pay more attention to the delicate articulation between universal human motives and particular societal contexts. We argue that further developments of theories of intractable conflicts need to critically question and investigate more systematically the extent of functional universals in psychological reactions to violent conflict. We discuss contextual factors likely to moderate these functions, such as the degree of asymmetry or visibility of a conflict.
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Elcheroth, G., Spini, D. (2015). Can There be a General Theory of Intractable Conflict?. In: Halperin, E., Sharvit, K. (eds) The Social Psychology of Intractable Conflicts. Peace Psychology Book Series, vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17861-5_2
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