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Towards the Fourth Wave of Conflict Resolution Practice

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Cultural Encounters and Emergent Practices in Conflict Resolution Capacity-Building

Part of the book series: Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies ((RCS))

Abstract

This reflection chapter begins with a brief history of the events that have driven theory development in the field of conflict resolution, as well as the author’s own evolution and process in taking a leadership role in identifying the necessity of cultural consideration in conflict resolution. The four waves proposed in this book are discussed, particularly the fourth wave, which is the context of the projects in these chapters. Finally, the bigger picture is examined in terms of themes drawn from the chapters, including building power and empowerment, “cultures” of mediation, roles of mediators, tension between harmony and justice and general lessons learned. The chapter ends with a discussion of hybridity in the field, both past and present.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    I learned a lot from these authors and colleagues, and I write with gratitude in recognizing how the work that I (and others!) began decades ago to make culture, context, and difference relevant for our field has matured into the varieties of research, theory, and, above all, practice, represented here.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, Arlington, VA, USA

    Kevin Avruch

Authors
  1. Kevin Avruch
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Correspondence to Kevin Avruch .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Conflict Resolution Institute, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Tamra Pearson d'Estrée

  2. Conflict Resolution Institute, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Ruth J. Parsons

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Avruch, K. (2018). Towards the Fourth Wave of Conflict Resolution Practice. In: d'Estrée, T., Parsons, R. (eds) Cultural Encounters and Emergent Practices in Conflict Resolution Capacity-Building. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71102-7_13

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