Resolution of Social Conflict

Abstract

For generations, sociological theorists have debated the relative function, utility, and harm of social conflict and its resolution. This review identifies some of the most prominent among recent contested forms of conflict resolution as well as their social histories, worldviews, and ways of operating. In sorting out the myriad theoretical traditions and positions guiding this field, we note that the resolution of social conflict is a thing in itself, and hence any design of its study should be directed at this liminal moment during which change is occurring. We conclude by examining four aspects of resolution—violence, spatiality, temporality, and language—using these themes to demarcate fault lines or gaps in the literature and to suggest new directions for future research.