Reviews classic and contemporary theories of conflict, focusing on five main ways people try to resolve their conflicts—coercion, negotiation, adjudication, mediation, and arbitration.

Broadly defining "conflict resolution," James A. Schellenberg gives systematic coverage to five main ways people may try to resolve their conflicts: coercion, negotiation, adjudication, mediation, and arbitration. The main theories of conflict, both classic and contemporary, are reviewed under four main categories: individual characteristics theories, social process theories, social structural theories, and formal theories.