A multi-dimensional typology of allyship action in violent intergroup conflict settings: Differentiating actor, target, and type of action

The last decade has seen an increase in social psychological research on allyship that has yielded many insights into the factors that produce and maintain allyship. Yet, less attention has been paid to allyship action in violent intergroup conflict settings. In the current contribution, first, we introduce a multi-dimensional typology of allyship action in such settings by differentiating allyship based on the a) actors of those actions (i.e., individuals, collectives, and societies), b) targets of those actions (i.e., victim- vs perpetrator-focused), and c) types of those actions (i.e., low- vs high-cost action). Second, we mostly draw on examples from our own programmes of research and where relevant from global conflicts and previous studies on allyship to show the applicability of the proposed typology. Third, we discuss theoretical (e.g., plurality of peace and allyship actions) and practical (e.g., operationalisation of allyship more clearly and precisely) implications. Finally, we reflect on the limitations of past studies in this domain and suggest directions to address existing research gaps. Our typology contributes to the collective action and intergroup conflict literatures by showing how allyship action has been studied in conflict settings as well as identifying the similarities and differences between conflict and non-conflict settings.