Herbert C. Kelman: Von der sozialpsychologischen Friedensforschung zur Theorie und Praxis internationaler Friedensmediation

Abstract

Herbert C. Kelman, who as a child had to flee Vienna to escape Nazi terror (1939), became one of the earliest and most important pioneers of modern peace research in the United States, whereas he remained relatively unknown in Europe. A Harvard professor of social psychology and social ethics, he explored social psychological dimensions of international relations and developed a social psychological approach to conflict resolution that took into account the role of emotions and needs in both conflict analysis and the development of joint perspectives on solutions. This results in a special approach to conflict resolution and peace mediation, which Kelman himself applied for decades, primarily in the Middle East.