| ID | 107657 |
| Title Proper | Socio-psychological barriers to peace making |
| Other Title Information | an empirical examination within the Israeli Jewish Society |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Halperin, Eran ; Bar-Tal, Daniel |
| Publication | 2011. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Socio-psychological barriers play a major role in the continuation of intractable conflicts. They are responsible for the socio-psychological closure that resists and prevents the entertainment of alternative information that could potentially facilitate the acceptance of ideas advancing peacemaking processes. In an attempt to validate a process model that depicts the functioning of the socio-psychological barriers to conflict resolution, an empirical study was conducted among a nationwide representative sample of Jews in Israel, within the context of the Middle Eastern conflict. The reported study utilized a large scale survey, based on a nationwide representative sample of Israeli Jews who were asked to respond to a questionnaire which included the model's selected variables. As hypothesized, the results showed a path leading from general worldviews (e.g. General values, Right Wing Authoritarianism, Implicit theories about groups) to openness to new information and readiness to compromise through the mediation of the conflict-related societal beliefs (e.g. victimhood, delegitimization). These results indicate that closure to new information that may shed new light on both the rival and the conflict emerges as a crucial factor in the maintenance of society members' non-compromising views. The theoretical as well as the applied implications of the findings are discussed. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Peace Research Vol. 48, No.5; Sep 2011: p.637-651 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Peace Research Vol. 48, No.5; Sep 2011: p.637-651 |
| Key Words | Barriers ; Conflict ; Conflict Resolution ; Freezing |