Tables and Figures ix Notes on Contributors xi 1. Introduction 1Solon Simmons and Sergei A. Samoilenko Section I Polarization, Moral Outrage, and Extremism 17 2. Polarization 19Samantha Vilkins, Axel Bruns, Sebastian Svegaard, Tariq Choucair, and Katharina Esau 3. Intergroup Emotions in Intergroup Conflicts: Power Disparities Perspective 31Nur Kassem, Nimrod Nir, Anat Perry, and Eran Halperin 4. How Political and Social Conflict Enter into the Corporate Realm: Scansis as an Exemplar of Moral Outrage-Inducing Crises 47W. Timothy Coombs and Elina R. Tachkova 5. Illiberalism as a Conceptual Prism for Studying Political and Social Conflict 57Marlene Laruelle 6. Connective Action and Digital Surrogate Organizations 65Steven Livingston and Lorcan Neill 7. Trojan Horse Discourse 75Michiel Luining and Tom Van Hout 8. Culture Wars in Central Europe 83Zora Hesová 9. Extremist Aggression: A Social Psychological Explanation 93Daniel Rothbart Section II Systems of Power and Rhetorics of Control 105 10. Rhetoric of Social Conflict 107Gordana Lazić 11. Securitization 119Marta Lukacovic 12. Cancel Culture Rhetoric 131Jennifer Keohane 13. Spiral of Silence and Social Conflict 141Sherice Gearhart and Oluseyi Adegbola 14. Social Ostracism and Conflict 151Natasha R. Wood, Andrew H. Hales, and Kipling D. Williams 15. Bureaucracy 165Amanda J. Reinke and Jaymelee J. Kim 16. Complexity and Distributed Governance 173Jonathan P. Marshall Section III Narrative, World-Building, and Imagination 185 17. Applying Structurational Divergence Theory to Sociopolitical Conflict 187Anne M. Nicotera 18. Sociomaterial Actors in Political Moral Conflict 201Kristen L. Cole and Spencer D. Choate 19. Political Conflict Frames 211Emma S. van der Goot, Michael Hameleers, and Jeroen de Ridder 20. Gossip 221Francesca Giardini 21. The Epistemic Eclipse: Narrative, Ideology, and the Political Situation 231Oakley T. Hill 22. Songworld 241Audrey Ann Williams Section IV Media, Misinformation, and Popular Culture 251 23. The Tricksters of Permanent Liminality 253Sergei A. Samoilenko 24. Persuasive Attack and Defense in Social and Political Conflict 271William L. Benoit 25. Character Assassination in Politics: Gendered and Racialized Attacks on Kamala Harris 281Jennifer Keohane, Martijn Icks, Eric Shiraev, and Sergei Samoilenko 26. Ridicule in Late-Night Political Humor in the United States: Contours and Consequences 291Stephen J. Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter, and Farah Latif 27. Artificial Intelligence 301Henrik S. Sætra, Stuart Mills, and Evan Selinger 28. Visual Misinformation 313Teresa E. Weikmann 29. Information Warfare as a Theoretical Construct and an Operational Practice 323Greg Simons and Iulian Chifu Section V Resilience, Humanity, and Hope 335 30. Escalation and De-escalation 337Vincent August 31. Immunity 349Adalberto Fernandes 32. Positive Peace 359Michael D. English and Richard E. Rubenstein 33. Communication Approaches to Community Peacebuilding 369Doris E. Wesley and Jessica K. Jameson 34. Human Rights 381Clifford Bob 35. Women’s Rights Advocacy in Africa 393Innocent Chiluwa 36. Inoculation Theory and Conspiracy, Radicalization, and Violent Extremism 405Josh Compton and Kurt Braddock 37. Constructive Conflict and Critical Media Literacy 415Nolan Higdon 38. The End of War: On the Future of State Violence 427Solon Simmons and Keenan Yoho 39. Conclusions, Key Takeaways, and Implications 435Sergei A. Samoilenko and Solon Simmons Index 445

Examines conflict through a multidisciplinary lens, integrating perspectives from sociology, political science, psychology, and communication studies The Handbook of Social and Political Conflict offers an unparalleled exploration of the nature of conflict, bringing together insights from diverse academic disciplines. With a focus on contemporary issues, this comprehensive volume addresses the mechanisms, causes, and consequences of conflict at every level, from personal disputes to global confrontations. Bridging theoretical and practical perspectives, the Handbook‘s thematic sections explore the central challenges of conflict studies while providing a nuanced view of how conflict manifests and can be managed. Chapters by leading scholars from multiple disciplines provide an in-depth analysis of key concepts and emerging theories, illuminating contemporary issues such as political polarization, the rhetoric of social control, information warfare, narrative and world-building, the breakdown of consensus, and much more. Integrating practical tools for conflict resolution and innovative ideas for future research throughout, The Handbook of Social and Political Conflict is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers and practitioners in political science, sociology, psychology, and conflict resolution. This volume is also a valuable reference for professionals involved in international relations, peace studies, and mediation.