By Bernard Mayer
Jossey-Bass, 2012. When it was published in 2000, Bernard Mayer's The Dynamics of Conflict Resolution quickly became one of the seminal works in the conflict resolution field. The book bridged the gap between abstract theoretical approaches and practical handbooks and became an immensely valuable and accessible resource for experienced and novice practitioners, as well as for professors and students of conflict management who needed a deep yet practical view of conflict and methods for dealing with it.
The Dynamics of Conflict is the second edition of Mayer's classic book. While building on the strengths of the first edition, this thoroughly revised and updated book keeps pace with the most current trends and research in the field and explores four key concepts: interactional dynamics, system dynamics, culture and conflict, and conflict engagement.
Like the first edition, the focus of the new edition is on the ways we can productively think about conflict and conflict intervention, rather than on specific techniques and processes. Filled with illustrative examples, the book draws from the author's 30 years of experience with interpersonal, family, community, organizational, labor management, environmental, public policy, and international disputes and includes instances of conflicts that have been in the news.
In addition, this vital resource contains information on the most important work that has been done in the past decade on culture, systems, and conflict engagement and shows how conflict concepts apply to new technologies such as online communication and conflict resolution efforts on the Web. In the concluding chapter, Mayer explores how conflict intervention efforts fit into more general values about peace, democracy, and social justice, and the personal impact that conflict work as a field has on conflict specialists.
Reviews:
"Mayer once again demonstrates his unique ability to weave theory and practice together with real-world examples—whether about warring nations or a family dispute—to help readers better understand both the fundamentals and nuances involved in working in the conflict arena. The Dynamics of Conflict is a very important read for anyone who works with people in conflict." —Peter Salem, executive director, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
"A masterful example of approaching conflict with skill and respect. Mayer has gifted us with a book that serves the novice practitioner with guideposts, yet opens ever new and exciting pathways for the seasoned conflict specialist." —John Paul Lederach, professor of international peacebuilding, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame; author, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace