Abstract:

 

Intergroup emotions play an integral part in conflicts, as they shape both intragroup and intergroup behaviors. These emotions mobilize societies in favor of either war or peace (Cohen-Chen et al., 2014b; Halperin et al., 2011). Lines of research have demonstrated that discrete emotions have been associated with specific outcomes of war/peace processes (Gayer et al., 2009; Halperin et al., 2013; Spanovic et al., 2010). Based on the valence of the emotion, and later on the valence of the outcome associated with it (Cohen-Chen et al., 2020), emotions were divided into constructive and destructive emotions, regardless of the power status of the group, which remains an understudied factor. For example, anger has been considered a destructive emotion motivating violence, whereas empathy had been seen as a constructive emotion mobilizing support for peace (Cheung-Blunden & Blunden, 2008; Maoz & McCauley, 2005). In this chapter, we challenge the oversimplistic approach by offering a novel framework that incorporates group power status in the categorization of the instrumentality of emotions.

 

Previous literature shows that differing realities in asymmetrical conflict also influence group goals and interests (Leshem & Halperin, 2020). Both high- and low-power groups aim to end war and bloodshed, but power dynamics lead the high-power group to prioritize harmonious relationships and maintain the status quo and, thus, may oppose compromises. This approach safeguards privileges and minimizes resistance. Conversely, the disadvantaged group prioritizes justice, having endured unequal circumstances and seeking to change the status quo by their own means, such as collective action.

The main implication of the fact that high- and low-power groups in conflicts have different goals and aspirations is that, for each group, different emotions play different roles in promoting these goals and aspirations, and consequently, in mobilizing them toward war or peace. To address that complexity, we propose a novel theoretical framework in which these desirable goals have underlying emotions that could be categorized into three units: constructive, destructive, and differential emotions. This model serves as the foundation to develop adjusted intervention tools that take into account the group power status, thus better tackling inequality and fostering peace and social justice among groups in asymmetrical conflicts. For example, by considering the differential effect of anger depending on the power status of the group, intervention tools can be developed to help attain social equality by facilitating concessions among the advantaged and by fostering a quest for equality attainment among the disadvantaged.