The Power of Collective Resilience Against Political Violence and Repression

This book outlines the importance of collective resilience for civilians in the face of war and political violence, examining how people develop social resources to confront adversity and foster meaningful change.

Drawing on novel research from a range of diverse contexts, the book explores a nuanced picture of how political violence can lead to increased social cooperation and action within communities, as well as the well-documented negative dynamics. It brings together research into the collective resilience of civilians in the context of political violence and repression in three fields: psychological well-being, resistance and collective action, and reconciliation and peacebuilding. Chapters describe the underlying social-psychological processes behind collective resilience and discuss the limits and boundary conditions in the emergence of resilience. The contributors illustrate how communities leverage solidarity and shared identity to challenge divisive violence, pursue justive, and build sustainable peace, empasizing the importance of social processes in transforming harm into pathways for recovery, empowerment, and resilience.

The Power of Collective Resilience Against Political Violence and Repression will be highly relevant reading for postgraduate students and academics in the fields of social and political psychology, and those researching intergroup relations, social change, peace, and conflict. It will also be of interest to activists interested in collective action and resilience.

Yasemin Gülsüm Acar is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology & Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, UK. Yasemin’s research interests include outcomes of collective action, social identity, and intergroup conflict.

Blerina Këllezi is an Associate Professor in Social and Trauma Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, UK. Blerina’s research investigates the collective nature of the experiences, impact and responses to mass human rights violations.

Sandra Penic is a senior researcher and lecturer at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Sandra’s research examines the impact of collective victimization on individuals’ emotions, beliefs, and actions in various conflict-affected societies.