Representing and Feeling Conflict: Lessons for Building Peace

Abstract

Conflict and war are also driven by emotions such as fear or resentment and anger, and by exaggerated negative views of the Other and exaggerated positive views of the Self. This conceptual-empirical contribution delves into how representations of Self and Other in situations of conflict and war are linked with emotions, and how both act as co-driving factors for conflict. On the conceptual level, the contribution discusses the role of representations of Self and Other, of visuals, emotions and linked identity, and processes of enemy image construction. On the empirical level, the contribution presents specific examples illustrating how the concepts play out in settings of conflict and war: Russia’s war in Ukraine, the radicalization of Self-Other representations online, and U.S. Othering of Iran. It discusses how Self-Other representations shape conflict, how visuals of conflict and of Self-Other relations impact dynamics, and how emotions and identity can add to conflict. In closing, the chapter draws lessons for building peace. Lessons concern means of reflecting Self-Other representations and of forming more constructive ways of representing Self and Other, options for deconstructing enemy images, and the need to attend to the role of emotions also in efforts of building peace.