Introduction

Past approaches to the study of intractable conflict focus on a variety of variables that contribute to and sustain destructive social systems. Although rich in case analyses, the extant literature often treats these variables in situ and typically disassociated from each other. This special issue examines the causes and conditions of intractable conflicts through exploring relationships among complex processes. This introduction presents an overview of the articles in this issue and draws from them to illustrate how the processes of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization relate to intractable conflicts.