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Analysing the personal dimension
Conflict can bring about change in the personal dimension in two main categories, attitude change and behaviour change.
Attitude change
Before we can analyse attitude change, we need to explore what attitudes are. Attitudes are complex and difficult to observe, as they are latent, so to say hidden within a person. The longman dictionary provides the following definitions for attitude:
2 [uncountable and countable] the way that you behave towards someone or in a particular situation, especially when this shows how you feel:
an aggressive attitude As soon as they found out I was a doctor their whole attitude changed. Ben has a real attitude problem (=is not helpful or pleasant to be with).
3 [uncountable] informal a style of dressing, behaving etc that shows you have the confidence to do unusual and exciting things without caring what other people think
Source: <http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/attitude> (accessed 6 August)
[For more definitions, please see Different Definitions of Attitude <http://www.psych.umn.edu/courses/spring06/borgidae/psy5202/images/attitude%20definitions.pdf> (accessed 6 August) and the wikipedia entry "Attitude (psychology)" <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_(psychology)> (accessed 6 August 2009).]
For the topic discussed here, the first definition from above "the opinions and feelings that you usually have about something" seems to be most useful: the opinions and feelings that people have towards the conflict, a conflict party, a conflict issue, violence, etc. The following questions can be helpful to esxplore such opinion and feelings - and how they have changed - in a conflict situation:
In contrast to attitudes, behaviour of people can be directly observed. Behaviour is what people do, their actions. When you analyse the personal dimension, the following questions can guide you:
Adapted and extended from Lederach, J. P./Neufeldt, Reina/Culbertson, H., Reflective Peacebuilding. A Planning, Monitoring, and Learning Toolkit, Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Catholic Relief Service, 2007, p. 20. <http://crs.org/publications/showpdf.cfm?pdf_id=80> (accessed 6 August 2009)
Attitude change
Before we can analyse attitude change, we need to explore what attitudes are. Attitudes are complex and difficult to observe, as they are latent, so to say hidden within a person. The longman dictionary provides the following definitions for attitude:
at‧ti‧tude
1 [uncountable and countable] the opinions and feelings that you usually have about something
positive/negative attitudepeople with a positive attitude to life the country's attitude of mind (=way of thinking) during the crisis
attitude to/towards Pete's attitude towards women really scares me.
Pete's attitude towards women really scares me.positive/negative attitude
people with a positive attitude to lifethe country's attitude of mind (=way of thinking) during the crisis2 [uncountable and countable] the way that you behave towards someone or in a particular situation, especially when this shows how you feel:
an aggressive attitudeAs soon as they found out I was a doctor their whole attitude changed.Ben has a real attitude problem (=is not helpful or pleasant to be with).3 [uncountable] informal a style of dressing, behaving etc that shows you have the confidence to do unusual and exciting things without caring what other people think
with attitude a coat with attitude
a coat with attitudeSource: <http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/attitude> (accessed 6 August)
[For more definitions, please see Different Definitions of Attitude <http://www.psych.umn.edu/courses/spring06/borgidae/psy5202/images/attitude%20definitions.pdf> (accessed 6 August) and the wikipedia entry "Attitude (psychology)" <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_(psychology)> (accessed 6 August 2009).]
For the topic discussed here, the first definition from above "the opinions and feelings that you usually have about something" seems to be most useful: the opinions and feelings that people have towards the conflict, a conflict party, a conflict issue, violence, etc. The following questions can be helpful to esxplore such opinion and feelings - and how they have changed - in a conflict situation:
- How has the conflict affected the attitudes of people?
- What attitudes currently increase the likelihood of destructive patterns of conflict? (e.g. superiority, lack of respect, fear if contact with the other side/sides in the conflict, prejudice or bias).
- Do attitudes exist that promote constructive patterns of conflict?
- How do attitudes differ between individuals of different “sides in the conflict”?
- What attitudes need to and can be changed? If this attitude/these attitudes would change, what difference would it make to the situation? How could this change be produced?
In contrast to attitudes, behaviour of people can be directly observed. Behaviour is what people do, their actions. When you analyse the personal dimension, the following questions can guide you:
- What behaviours contribute to destructive patterns of conflict?
- What behaviours contribute to constructive patterns of conflict?
- How do behaviours of the actors differ?
- What destructive behaviours could be changed (such as reaching out to other groups, listening well, avoiding negative stereotypes in language, increasing contact with the other sides, reconsidering perceptions)? What difference would such a change make in the situation? How could this change be produced?
Adapted and extended from Lederach, J. P./Neufeldt, Reina/Culbertson, H., Reflective Peacebuilding. A Planning, Monitoring, and Learning Toolkit, Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Catholic Relief Service, 2007, p. 20. <http://crs.org/publications/showpdf.cfm?pdf_id=80> (accessed 6 August 2009)
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, Aug 6 2009, 6:19 AM EDT
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