Psychology

Collective emotions in conflict situations: Societal implications

Document Type

Article

Abstract

It is well established today that emotions are an important part of most societal dynamics. The current article focuses on the role of different collective emotional elements in creating, preserving, and resolving conflicts. The main premise is that collective emotions play a pivotal role in shaping individual and societal responses to conflicting events and in contributing to the evolvement of a social context that maintains the emotional climate and collective emotional orientation that have developed. The first part of the article provides a conceptual framework to discuss the relations between conflict, context, and collective emotions. The second part uses the conceptual framework to discuss the societal implications of the articles presented in this issue. Taken together, the parts create a platform for future research on the role of collective emotions in conflict resolution and the construction of cultures of peace. © 2007 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Publication Title

Journal of Social Issues

Publication Date

2007

Volume

63

Issue

2

First Page

441

Last Page

460

ISSN

0022-4537

DOI

10.1111/j.1540-4560.2007.00518.x

Keywords

sociology of emotions, conflict, social conflict, peacebuilding, emotions, social perception

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