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Studying Injustice in the Macro and Micro Spheres: Four Generations of Social Psychological Research

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Conflict, Interdependence, and Justice

Part of the book series: Peace Psychology Book Series ((PPBS,volume 11))

Abstract

Building from Deutsch’s intellectual contribution to social justice, this chapter situates examples of recent justice scholarship within classical and contemporary theory and research. It takes the genealogy of academic mentorship and research seriously and positions four generations of justice scholarship in relationship to one another: Kurt Lewin’s work on the psychology of groups and social norms; Morton Deutsch’s work on conflict and justice; Susan Opotow’s work on the scope of justice and moral exclusion; and Sara I. McClelland’s work on evaluations of satisfaction in intimate relationships. Over the course of this chapter, we use justice concepts as a way to discuss how individuals are influenced by history, status, and power when they evaluate experiences of injustice in the private sphere.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our two readers, Morton Deutsch and Michelle Fine, for their feedback on earlier drafts of this chapter. Their insights and wisdom enhanced our thinking immeasurably. Thanks also to Robert Jansen for his helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology and Women’s Studies, Michigan Society of Fellows, University of Michigan, 530 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Sara I. McClelland

  2. John Jay College of Criminal Justice and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Susan Opotow

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  1. Sara I. McClelland
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  2. Susan Opotow
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Correspondence to Sara I. McClelland .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University, International Center for Cooperation and, Teacher's College, West 120th Street 525, New York, 10027, USA

    Peter T. Coleman

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McClelland, S.I., Opotow, S. (2011). Studying Injustice in the Macro and Micro Spheres: Four Generations of Social Psychological Research. In: Coleman, P. (eds) Conflict, Interdependence, and Justice. Peace Psychology Book Series, vol 11. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9994-8_6

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