Psychology

Peace Fair or Warfare: Educating the Community

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Psychologists who wish to promote peace and justice must investigate how to mobilize the political will of the people in order to improve the policy making of the elite. This is the second study in a program of action research designed to investigate ways of encouraging people to accept personal responsiblity for influencing governmental foreign policy. It reports an attempt to create an ideal educational experience—a peace fair—that would provide the set of conditions that the first study suggested were essential for the acceptance of personal responsibility. The fair was successful in convincing individuals that they personally could do something to help prevent nuclear war. However, it revealed a serious weakness in the current peace movement—an inability to portray convincingly a course of national action that could promote peace and justice. This is an essential component for efficient action. Suggestions are made for the next round of research. 1988 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues

Publication Title

Journal of Social Issues

Publication Date

1988

Volume

44

Issue

2

First Page

59

Last Page

80

ISSN

0022-4537

DOI

10.1111/j.1540-4560.1988.tb02063.x

Keywords

peace, psychologists, war, social action, social science research, justice

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