Post-conflict societies and the social sciences: A review

Abstract

This paper serves as the Editorial Introduction that heads the special issue on post-conflict societies in the social sciences and it reviews the growing literature on this topic. The field offers an interdisciplinary space not just for the various social sciences to interface, but for social science to encounter theology, philosophy and ethics. The field can be divided into three themes: the management of post-conflict emotions; transitional justice; and statebuilding. The review outlines the opportunity post-conflict societies provide the social sciences to demonstrate their 'impact' and 'public value', as well as the challenges the field throws out to social sciences, in particular to their moral relativism and the traditional disciplinary closure from moral questions. © 2011 Academy of Social Sciences.