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CONCLUSION

Intergroup conflict occurs frequently and is often handled poorly at all levels of society and between societies. It is based in numerous sources and involves a complex interplay of individual perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors as well as group factors that provide a built-in tendency for escalation.

Therefore, there is a considerable need for skilled intervenors and social roles and institutions to support their practice. A wide range of knowledge, much of it from a social psychological base, yields implications for analyzing, confronting, and resolv­ing intergroup conflict. One of the greatest challenges is training a wide range of professionals in the knowledge and skills required to facilitate the produc­tive resolution of intergroup conflict. Through a combination of skills in interpersonal communication, group facilitation, intergroup problem solving, and system-level consulting, outside third parties or balanced teams of repre­sentatives can assist groups to confront their differences effectively and build long-term partnerships.

Note: The author wishes to thank Morton Deutsch for helpful comments on an earlier version of this chapter.

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Source: Deutsch Morton, Coleman Peter T., Marcus Eric C.. The Handbook of Conflict Resolution. Theory and Practice. 2nd edition. — Jossey-Bass,2000. — 649 p.. 2000

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