Peace and Conflict Studies

Fourth Edition

David P. Barash - University of Washington, USA
Charles P. Webel - Chapman University, USA, University of New York in Prague

Courses:
International Conflicts & Cooperation | International Security & Conflict | International Security & Conflict | Introductory Criminology |

January 2017 | 712 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

The thoroughly updated Fourth Edition of the gold standard text explores historical and current topics in today’s rapidly changing world to provide a comprehensive introduction to peace and conflict studies. The authors offer an insightful analysis of 21st-century global affairs, including such timely topics as ISIS, the nature of violence and nonviolence, cutting-edge military technologies, the Terrorism and Global Peace Indexes, and the latest developments in Iran, North Korea, and Syria. Comprehensive yet written in a student-friendly and accessible style, the text represents a commitment to inspire readers to create a better world through an understanding of what has happened and what is happening, and therefore what is likely to take place in the future.

Read Dr. Barash’s article on Psychology Today on why nuclear threats by the U.S. Government are never a successful defense tactic.

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Part I: The Promise of Peace, the Problems of War

Chapter 1: The Meanings of Peace

The Meanings of Peace

Positive and Negative Peace

Measuring Peace

The Global Peace Index

Key Findings of the U.S. Peace Index

Culture of Peace

A Final Note on the Meanings of Peace

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 2: Peace Studies, Peace Education, and Peace Research

Peace Studies, War Studies, and Peace and Conflict Studies

Peace Education

The Dimensions of Peace and Conflict Studies

PCS Today

Some Contributions of PCS

The Future of PCS

A Final Note on Peace and Conflict Studies, Peace Education, and Peace Research

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Journals

Websites

Chapter 3: The Meanings of Wars

Defining Wars

The Frequency and Intensity of Wars

Historical Trends in War

Modern Weaponry

Cutting-Edge Military Technologies

Has Technology Made War Obsolete?

Wars, Empires, Colonialism, and National Liberation

The Desirability of Peace Versus Justifications for Wars

Social Justice and War

Political Ideologies and Militarism

Is War Inevitable?

Can Nations Change?

The Nature and Functions of Conflict

A Final Note on War

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 4: Terrorism Versus Counterterrorism

What Is Terrorism? Who Are “Terrorists”?

A Brief History of Terrorism

The Historical Tension Between State Terrorism From Above and Nonstate Terrorism From Below

ISIS

State and State-Sponsored Terrorism

Terrorism in the Name of God

The Terrorism Industry and the Mass Media

The Global War on Terrorism

The Victims and Perpetrators of Global Terrorism and Counterterrorism

A Final Note on Terrorism

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 5: The Special Significance of Nuclear Weapons

The Nature of Nuclear Weapons

The Effects of Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Delivery Systems

Strategic Doctrine: Deterrence

How a Nuclear War Could Start

Nuclear Proliferation

Some New Worries

Some Good News

What Might Be Done

A Final Note on Nuclear Weapons

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Part II : The Reasons For Wars

Chapter 6: The Individual Level

Aggression, Drives, and Instincts

Sociobiology and Evolutionary Psychology

Freudian and Post-Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory

“Innate Depravity” and “Human Nature”

Social Learning Theories

Gender, War, and Peace

Prejudice, Images of the Enemy, and Human Needs

Attributions and Just-World Theories of Behavior

Altruism, Aggression, and Reconciliation

The Attractions of War

Inhibitions Against War

Some Issues in Nuclear Psychology

A Final Note on Individual-Level Explanations of Wars

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 7: The Group Level

War: Its Prehistory and Early History

Functions of Nontechnological Wars

Characteristics of Premodern and Nontechnological Wars

Alternatives to Nontechnological Warfare

Underlying Group Processes

Brief Conclusion on Premodern and Nontechnological Warfare

Nations, States, Ethnic Groups, and Nationalism

A Brief History of Nationalist Wars

Types of Nationalist Wars

Nationalist Threats to States

Racial and Cultural Intolerance

Nationalism and the Public Mood

Nationalism and Political Ideology

The Question of “National Character”

A Final Note on Nationalism and Ethnocentrism

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 8: The State Level

Defining the State

State Sovereignty

The State System

Alliances Between States

Realpolitik and Raisons d’État

Internal Cohesion

Arms Races

A Final Note on War and States

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 9: The Decision-Making Level

The Role of Leaders

Crisis Decision Making

Some Issues Regarding Perception and Cognition

A Final Note on Decision Making

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 10: The Ideological, Social, and Economic Levels

Conflicting Ideologies

Population Pressure and Other Social Stresses

Poverty as a Cause of War

Imperialism

The Economic Effects of Wars

The Effects of Military Spending

Cultural Conflicts and the “Clash of Civilizations”

A Final Note on the Reasons for Wars and Peace

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Part III: Building "Negative Peace"

Chapter 11: Peace Movements

Popular Attitudes Toward Peace

Attention, Success, and Failure

Historical and Current Perceptions of War

History and Taxonomy of Peace Movements

Interconnections Between Peace and Other Social Movements

Some Internal Debates Within Peace Movements

Some Criticisms of Peace Movements

Maintaining the Momentum of Peace Movements

A Final Note on Peace Movements

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 12: Diplomacy, Negotiations, and Conflict Resolution

Human Conflict

Summitry

A Brief History of Diplomacy

Diplomacy and Military Force

Diplomacy and Realpolitik

Track II Diplomacy

Third-Party Involvement

Negotiating Techniques for Resolving Conflict

Methods of Integrative Bargaining

Additional Negotiating Techniques

A Final Note on Conflict Resolution

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 13: Disarmament and Arms Control

Different Visions of Disarmament

A Brief History of Disarmament

Some Current Agreements

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Future Prospects

Some Conventional Arms Abuses and Opportunities

Pitfalls of Arms Control Agreements

Benefits of Arms Control Prospects

Economic Conversion

A Final Note on Disarmament and Arms Control

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 14: International Cooperation

The United Nations

Limitations on the UN's Use of Force

Other Functions of the United Nations

Functionalism

Regional Organizations

World Government?

A Brief History of Plans for World Government

Pros and Cons of World Government

The Dream of World Government: A Waste of Time?

The Prospects for World Government

The Uniting of the United States of America: A Rehearsal for a Global Federal System?

Toward World Government?

A Final Note on International Cooperation

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 15: Peace Through Strength?

Balance of Power

Problems With Balance of Power

The Rise of the BRICS

Collective Security

National Security via Military Force

Appeasement, Provocation, and Deterrence

The Use and Abuse of Threats

The Prisoner’s Dilemma

Sanctions

Nonprovocative Defense

A Final Note on Peace Through Strength

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 16: International Law

The Sources of International Law

Enforcement of International Law

The Conflict between International Law and State Sovereignty

Hidden Strengths of International Law

The Law of War

A Final Note on International Law

Notes

Questions of Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 17: Ethical and Religious Perspectives

Ethics

Religious Attitudes Toward War

Christian “Realism”

Religious Pacifism

Nuclear Ethics

A Final Note on Ethics and Religion

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Part IV: Building Positive Peace

Chapter 18: Human Rights

A Brief History of Human Rights

Women’s Rights

Some Human Rights Controversies

Refugees

LGBT Rights

The Legal Status of Human Rights

Human Rights and the Nation-State

Human Rights and Peace

Competing Conceptions of Human Rights

The Responsibility to Protect

Promoting Human Rights

A Final Note on Human Rights

Notes

Questions for Further Study

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 19: Ecological Well-Being

Enhanced Environmental Awareness

The Environment and National Security

The Tragedy of the Commons

Some Major Environmental Problems

Some Environmental Principles

Environmental Activism

Struggling for Sustainability

Resource Wars

Environmental Ethics

A Final Note on Ecological Well-Being

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 20: Economic Well-Being

The Problem of Poverty

Socioeconomic Development

Ethics, Equity and a Bit of History

Hunger

Measuring Wealth, Poverty, and Income Inequality

Population

The Demographic-Economic Environmental Trap

Future Directions

The Case of Costa Rica

A Final Note on Economic Well-Being

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 21: Movements Toward Democracy

What Is Democracy?

A Brief Modern History of Democratization

Democracies and Wars

Can Democracy Be Exported? Should It Be?

A Final Note on Movements Toward Democracy

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 22: National Reconciliation

Truth and Reconciliation Commissions

In the Absence of Truthful Reconciliation . . .

TRC Downsides and Caveats

A Final Note on Reconciliation

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 23: Nonviolence

What Is Nonviolence?

Violence

Nonviolent Peace Theorists and Theories

Mohandas K. Gandhi

Gandhian Nonviolence in Theory and Practice

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement

Some Nonviolent Successes

Civilian-Based Defense

Does Nonviolence “Work”? If So, Why?

Prospects for Nonviolence

A Final Note on Nonviolence

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 24: Toward a More Peaceful Future

Transformations of Self and Society

Toward the Future

A Final Note on Transformation and the Future

Notes

Questions for Further Reflection

Suggestions for Further Reading

This is an excellent introduction to the field of peace and conflict studies. The book not only has valuable research from the field of peace and conflict studies, but clearly explains what the field is, how it differs from program to program, and what is generally covered in the scope of the field. The authors also explain the theoretical viewpoints that are incorporated into the research.

Dr Michael Hollingsworth

Political Science and Criminal Justice, University Of South Alabama

April 23, 2019

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Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

Significantly expanded content on global terrorism, a topic of high interest in today’s current events, includes a new section on ISIS, as well as new scholarly references and data from the most recent Global Terrorism Index.
New material on key topics in world affairs today bring students up-to-date on income inequality, the current and ongoing "refugee crisis," and global peace and nonviolence.
Coverage of recent developments in environmental politics and nuclear proliferation includes efforts to combat global climate change and the Iran nuclear agreement.
Updated coverage of cutting-edge military technologies includes discussions of nanotechnological devices, drones, robots and “terminator”-like weapons, space technologies, biological and chemical weapons, and current developments in cyberwarfare.
Updated chapters on Peace and Conflict Studies, Global Climate Change and the New Democracy Movements broaden the scope of the book.

KEY FEATURES:

An insightful combination of theoretical and historical insights with attention to significant recent events provides students with a solid grounding in peace and conflict sudies.
Authoritative coverage of the important aspects of positive peace, individual violence, nationalism, and terrorism introduces readers to the key issues in the field.
Built-in learning aids, including numerous photos and visual aids, questions for further study, and suggested readings, help readers master key concepts.