Conflict resolution is essential for human cognitive system which renders adaptability to the environment, providing humans to fulfill daily activities. The main aim of this thesis is to create a task where the conflict activates emotional networks exclusively, while investigating how the cognitive and emotional conflicts are monitored and then resolved in the brain. After creating the appropriate material composed of controlled words in terms of emotional dimensions and concreteness values, a new Word-face Stroop Task is designed using Turkish words. Firstly subjects participated in a classical Stroop task to measure cognitive conflict and then in the Word-face Stroop task, the conflict between emotional words and emotional faces is investigated. The same Stroop tasks are then administered to depression patients. The results of the classical Stroop replicated the previous findings: (1) Healthy population was slower in responding to incongruent cases than congruent cases (2) Depressed patients were significantly slower than healthy population. The Word-face Stroop, conducted on healthy population also replicated the earlier findings: (1) People were slower in reacting to incongruent stimuli than congruent stimuli (2) People reacted faster to positive words than negative ones. Same Stroop tasks conducted on depressed patients however revealed interesting results, novel to the literature: (1) Congruency scores were significantly different when healthy population and Depressive Disorder patients with Hamilton scores higher than 20 were compared (2) Patients with Hamilton scores higher than 20 and lower than 20 significantly differed in congruency scores (3) Patients showed a tendency to react faster to incongruent stimuli rather than congruent stimuli, contrary to normal population (4) Normal population showed greater congruency effect in positively valenced abstract words, whereas depression patients showed greater congruency effect in negatively valenced concrete words.

This study examined the consistency between verbal responses to hypothetical conflict scenarios and the actual conflict resolutions techniques children apply in everyday play. Twenty-one children were interviewed and observed in order to determine their conflict resolution strategies. During the interview process, each child was asked to finish 6 hypothetical conflict scenarios. During the observation portion, each child was observed in 2 conflict scenarios. Significant (p < .05) differences were found with regards to verbal responses for 3 scenarios, verbal and behavioral responses of females (females exhibited more socially acceptable conflict resolution strategies in their verbal responses, yet less socially acceptable conflict resolution strategies in their behavioral responses), and socially acceptable responses to conflict in verbal strategies. Results were discussed in light of previous research comparing gender differences and peer relationships to conflict resolution strategies.

Mass humanitarian atrocities – many of them perpetrated by governments against their own people – continue to wreak havoc across Africa. These crises demand decisive action by the African Union (AU), the intergovernmental organisation that presides over peace and security on the continent. Since its formation, the AU has established a set of norms and institutions that reflect the principles of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), and by its own declaration, has shifted its approach away from the notion of ‘non-interference’ (as espoused by its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity) to a new position of ‘non-indifference’. However, despite its rhetorical commitment to the implementation of R2P, the AU’s handling of the 2010 Côte d’Ivoire crisis was so weak that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) authorised an intervention led by France. The incapacity of the AU to resolve the conflict raised questions about the organisation’s rhetoric of ‘African solutions to African problems’. This study analyses the AU’s handling of the Côte d’Ivoire crisis, and thereby implicitly investigates the organisation’s challenges in operationalizing the R2P in Africa. The methodology of an extensive literature survey is employed to gather evidence of conceptual and institutional deficiencies within the AU, and possible coordination problems between the AU, ECOWAS and the UNSC in their management of African conflicts. The purpose of the study is thus to contribute to the wider intellectual discourse on R2P operationalization, and specifically aimed at strengthening the AU’s ability to implement its own peace and security agenda. / Mini-dissertation (MSecurity Studies)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Political Sciences / Unrestricted

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The aim of this thesis was to find out how the teachers I have interviewed, felt that they worked with and looked at conflict management. The aim was also to find similarities and differences in teachers' ways of working with conflict. With the help of my questions, I got answers to what I wanted to explore in my essay. I used these questions: What strategies do the teachers I interviewed for managing conflicts in preschool? What tools do the teachers I interviewed see as most effective in the process of conflict management? Are there differences and similarities in the way that the teachers I interviewed work with current conflict? What factors, according to the informants starts a conflict? What is the teachers’ definition of a conflict and how does their definition affect their approach when working with conflicts?In my study, I have used a qualitative approach in the form of structured interview, to get material for my thesis. In my interviews, I used an interview guide and a tape recorder.I analyzed my material using three different theories. The first theory is Vygotsky's theory of learning and development from a sociocultural perspective, the other is Skinner's theory of positive feedback and the third is Freud's psychoanalytic theory. I have also used the previous research to analyze my empirical material. Previous research describing various approaches to working with conflicts. I have also used the book Solution -oriented pedagogy as a tool to analyze my material.      The study shows that it seems as the most important thing in one's work with conflict, is the way a teacher look at and relate to a conflict. Many of the teacher see a conflict as something constructive and positive. There is a different approach and strategies in the way the different pre-schoolteachers work and help the kids to take on and resolve a conflict. The similarities in the teachers work with conflict is that they find dialogue as an important tool and that the language is important in resolving a conflict.

SAMMANFATTNING   Vi har valt att undersöka konflikthantering inom organisationer. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur cheferna hanterar konflikter inom organisationen och hur de upplever detta. Vi menar att detta är ett understuderat ämne som av många olika orsaker bör lyftas fram och undersökas närmre. Konflikter kan få stora ekonomiska konsekvenser exempelvis genom minskad arbetsprestation, sjukskrivningar och så vidare. Konflikter kan också få slitsamma konsekvenser känslomässigt och psykiskt. Konflikter är något som i olika grader förekommer dagligen varför ämnet i allra högsta grad är aktuellt. Det är något alla är inblandade i och som de flesta tycker är obehagligt att hamna i, vår uppfattning är att det kan bero på att få vet hur konflikter bör hanteras och varför de uppstår. Något av det mest anmärkningsvärda i våra resultat var hur lågt stöd som fanns för några av cheferna i dessa frågor. De förväntades veta hur de skulle lösa konflikterna helt själva. Detta visar enligt oss på behovet av större kunskap på området.   Vi har intervjuat chefer från olika organisationer och utifrån deras upplevelse analyserat hur de agerat i dessa, för att se om vi kan identifiera de konflikthanteringsstrategier de har använt för att lösa konflikten. Vi har också analyserat vilka konsekvenser konflikten fått samt hur cheferna arbetade förebyggande mot att konflikter skulle uppstå. I den teoretiska referensramens första del redogörs för begreppet konflikt samt omkringliggande råden. I den andra delen är de teoretiska inslagen mer specifikt inriktade med områden som; konflikter inom organisationer,  identifiering av olika typer av konflikter, konflikthanteringsstrategier, makt samt kommunikation och ledarstilar.   I våra resultat har vi sett att chefer fäster stor vikt vid själva kommunikationen mellan sig och medarbetarna men också hur de har fokus på hur deras medarbetare för sina dialoger sinsemellan. Vi har sett att några av våra informanter inledningsvis avvaktar vid konflikter för att sedan ingripa om konflikten fortsätter. Dessa konflikter påverkade både medarbetare och chefers välmående. Vi har också sett att några av konflikterna har fått konsekvenser i form av att inblandade medarbetare inte får lönehöjningar vid löneutvecklingssamtal och att medarbetaren i vissa fall fått byta arbetsuppgifter till andra uppdrag med tydligare ramar för utförandet.   Att gå olika vägar för att avsluta anställningen var en av de konflikthanteringsstrategier vi kunde se. Exempel på förebyggande arbete för att motverka uppkomst av konflikter var: rekrytera medarbetare som passade i arbetsgruppen och samtala regelbundet med medarbetarna. Nyckelord: Konflikt, konflikthantering, kommunikation, chef, social interaktion

Conflict resolution theory and practice have been increasingly criticised for ignoring the centrality of culture in their attempts to find theories and models that are applicable universally, not only across cultures but also across levels of society. Mediation is one form of conflict resolution, which has come to occupy a central position in the resolution of disputes both at international and local levels. At the level of family disputes, family mediation has failed to engage users from different ethnic groups in England and Wales. This thesis explores the hypothesis that culture and, in particular, culturally defined concepts of gender are the important factors determining the success or failure of mediation in divorce disputes.

A major threat in present political climate is identity group conflict as shown in such disparate cases as former Yugoslavia, Rwanda , Northern Ireland and the rise in racism and xenophobia in Europe. Conflict Resolution theory has addressed itself to intervention in existing conflict situations either by third parties or the conflicting parties themselves but conflict prevention has been a relatively neglected area. This thesis takes a case study of relations between the Muslim and white majority communities in Bradford where underlying tensions occasionally erupt into conflicts which have national ramifications and sometimes international dimensions. Within this situation there is scope for conflict resolution work but also conflict prevention work. Reference is made to Northern Ireland where identity group conflict has been longstanding and where community relations approaches have ben tried and tested over a period of fifteen to twenty yeas. The community relations work already being undertaken in Bradford is explored along with where and how this needs to be strengthened. An action research project was undertaken to bring together young members of the Muslims and white majority communities in an attempt to assess the usefulness of workshop based approaches in improving inter-group relations and transmitting skills of conflict handling to the participants.

Since 1988, the states of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in conflict over the enclave of Nagorno Karabakh. The conflict has developed into one of the most intractable and complicated disputes in the international arena, with the main parties being the two rivalling sovereign states plus the 'unrecognised state' of Nagorno Karabakh. Despite the optimistic statements and claims by the OSCE and after many years of negotiations and talks, the peace process remains in stalemate. The research argues the virtues of Track Two diplomacy and highlights the successful instances where it has made important contributions to the 'official' or Track One diplomatic process. It also explores the potential of a 'no war no peace' situation by discerning the factors influencing the progress of the conflict. The research shows that a deeper understanding of the obstacles to peace is achieved by appreciating the significance of historical events as well as recognising the motives and interests of the different parties. The study reviews all major factors which have led to the failure of resolution efforts, particular the negative role played by Russia. It concludes that the scholars in the field of conflict resolution can bring about a lasting peace to this region, provided there is a fundamental change in the structure of the co-chairs of the OSCE.

The aim of this research is to expand the framework of contemporary conflict resolution by constructing a complementary relationship between Western epistemologies and a Buddhist epistemology. Despite its evolution and development through self-reflexivity and self-critique, contemporary conflict resolution established upon Western epistemologies has confined the understanding of human mind to social/cultural orientations and left a comprehensive and qualitative analysis of the potential of individual human mind underdeveloped. Buddhist epistemology, the central theme of which is to address human suffering that is mainly psychological and subjective, makes a critical analysis of human subjectivity in terms of how it can be become a root cause of suffering including conflict and how it can be addressed by gaining an insight into the social/cultural construction of human subjectivity. The argument of the thesis is that when a socially/culturally-oriented view of human mind and a deeper and more profound view of human mind are combined together, we can engage in a qualitatively richer and deeper analysis of the psychological and subjective dynamics of conflict resolution.