This research represents an innovative examination of the role of university educators in protracted ethnic conflict. In this exploratory qualitative case study, Israeli professors from five universities were asked to share their experiences and opinions as educators. They were invited to share their perceptions and perspectives when asked if they chose to challenge conflict narratives in the classroom. Research participants were asked to picture the future and to communicate their fears, worries, hopes and wishes. The educators interviewed in this study felt the atmosphere in Israel was hostile to individuals who teach from a critical standpoint and that there could be repercussions for persons who challenged the Zionist narrative. Educators used a variety of methods regarding contested materials: some spoke freely, many used a comparative approach using examples external to Israel, and some refused to discuss sensitive issues in the classroom. The results of this study point to an escalation in extreme positions in Israel, an inhospitable atmosphere for critical academics and a general pessimism regarding the future. However, this study also revealed the majority of those interviewed used strategies to challenge narratives of conflict in the classroom and most felt it was essential and beneficial to do so. Many respondents felt worried and uncertain about the future, most struggled to imagine a future that encompassed the qualities of ‘positive peace’ including mutual cooperation and equity among individuals and even fewer could imagine the means to manifest such a reality. When asked to imagine the future, responses were conservative, pessimistic and fearful and few educators articulated their professional contributions to social change.

The primary focus of this study was to assess children's and adolescents' perceptions of the ways in which peers respond to stressful conflicts that occur amongst them. Key variables that were examined were the social context (a dyad relationship versus a group relationship) and the social atmosphere (a compatible relationship versus an incompatible relationship) in which the conflict occurred. Scenarios were developed to simulate, as close as possible, realistic stressful conflicts that might typically arise in the daily lives of school age children and adolescents. Children and adolescents across three grade levels (1, 5, and 10) were administered a peer report measure in which they indicated to what extent they believed their same-sex peers would respond aggressively. The first part of the procedure required participants to listen to either a social scenario (someone who had been a member of a club was asked to leave) or an academic scenario (someone was given a bad grade by a peer) that described a conflict between two protagonists. The results of this study revealed that, as predicted, females endorsed significantly more aggressive responses for the compatible dyad context compared to the compatible group, incompatible dyad and incompatible group contexts. This finding occurred for overt, covert and withdrawn forms of aggression. These findings were also consistent across the three grade levels. Contrary to the hypothesis, males did not believe that their peers would behave differently across social contexts or atmospheres. Males did however report a higher level of overt and withdrawn aggression than females when the dyad and group conditions were combined. There were no gender differences in the aggressive responses for covert aggression. The implications of females' beliefs that degree of aggression would be highest in the intimate compatible dyad relationship compared to the other relationship contexts were discussed.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-184) / Microfiche. / xiii, 184 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Univ., Diss.--Düsseldorf, 2005.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Abilene Christian University, 1995. / Includes abstract. Includes notebook developed for a seminar entitled "Peaceful fighting : a Christian way of managing conflict" (leaves 86-259). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 234-38, 260-64).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 1998. / Abstract. Typescript (photocopy) Bibliography: leaves 280-287.

Thesis (M.M.)--Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary, 1990. / Abstract. Annotated bibliography: leaves 193-199. Bibliography: leaves 200-206.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [255]-265).

"Thesis approved for the degree of doctor of laws in the University of London." / Includes indexes. Reproduction of original from York University Law School Library. Includes bibliographical references.