Abstract:
Many contemporary conflicts are framed as antagonistic and difficult to resolve because of their zero-sum framing among the disputants. This article addresses the antagonism-agonism nexus and the political and contested nature of building peace. It has a three-fold aim: (1) to critically assess the interplay between constructive and destructive dynamics; (2) to analyze the circumstances under which conflict may move from antagonism to agonism; and (3) to advance the novel notion of agonistic peace building. The Middle East Peace Process is uses as a critical case of intractable conflict to elucidate the enabling and restraining conditions for agonistic peace building.
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