Conflict Resolution
CNR 601 Syllabus
COURSE NUMBER: CNR 601
COURSE TITLE:Cultural Dimensions of Conflict Resolution
CREDITS: 3 SEMESTER CREDITS
PREREQUISITES: None
FOR WHOM PLANNED: This is the second of six core theory and skills course required for the master's program in Conflict Resolution. May be taken as a general elective.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION: Instructor:
Dr. Tom Matyok
Phone numbers:
Email address:tgmatyok@uncg.edu
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Discuss how multiple dimensions of culture and affect people's perception of conflict
- Explain how various conflict theories integrate cultural issues
- Understand the foundations of indigenous systems of conflict resolution
- Compare indigenous models of conflict resolution with modern practices of mediation and negotiation
- Discuss the similarities and differences between "high" and "low" context cultural styles and intelligently assess the usefulness of this concept
- Analyze issues of ethnicity, gender, identity, power and colonialization in relation to formal legal systems and more informal, quasi-judicial methods of conflict resolution and transformation
- Discuss a full range of cross cultural conflict analysis skills
- Develop culturally relevant listening, facilitation and transformational practice skills
- Engage in interactive role plays to increase communication and listening, reframing and transformation skills
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Students will explore their own cultural background and values, as well
as values and beliefs of other cultural and ethnic groups. This course
is run as a graduate seminar, with role plays and experiential exercises.
There will be one group role play near the end of the semester that requires
collaborative problem solving among student teams.
Students are expected to have completed all readings before meeting in class or small groups online. The aim of the class dialogue is to help all of us identify and absorb the nuances and implications of the readings, and build a body of knowledge based on shared ideas, experiences, feelings, and on consistency and continuity of individual and group work.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Include books, textbooks, videos, and texts in other media that students have to buy for the course. E-reserve readings or video snippets should be identified under the individual units in the content outline.
Dangarembga, Tsitsi. (1988). Nervous conditions. Seattle, WA: Seal Press.
Davis, F. James. (1996). Who is black: One nation's definition. University Park , PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press.
LeBaron, Michelle. (2003). Bridging cultural conflicts: A new approach for a changing world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lederach, John Paul. (1995). Preparing for peace: Conflict transformation across cultures. New York: Syracuse University Press.
NOTE: Students will also need to purchase, or have access to the films, In the Heat of the Night (1967). Sugar Cane Alley (1983) by director Euzhan Paley, and Waco: The rules of engagement (2003) by director William Gazecki, New Yorker Video.
Selected E-reserve materials available in Blackboard.
Suggested Readings
Augsburger, David W. (1992). Conflict mediation across cultures: Pathways and patterns. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press.
Chew, Pat K. (Ed.). (2001). The conflict & culture reader. New York University Press.
Davidson, Osha Gray. (1996). The best of enemies: Race and redemption in the new South. Scribner. ISBN: 0684197596.
Greene, Melissa Faye. (1992). Praying for sheetrock. Fawcett Books. ISBN: 0449907538.
Horwitz, Tony. (1998). Confederates in the attic: Dispatches from the unfinished Civil War. New York: Vintage Books.
Langer, Elinor. (2003). A hundred little Hitlers: The death of a Black man, the trial of a White racist, and the rise of the Neo-Nazi movement in America. New York: Metropolitan Books.
American History X by director Tony Kaye. New Line Cinema.
New Line Home Entertainment.
General Description of Course Activities
Web links: Students are expected to become familiar with conflict resolution websites. Students will visit association, professional, and practitioner websites and share their findings on-line with class members.
Discussion forums: It is expected that students will participate in on-line discussion forums. On-line discussion forums provide students an opportunity to learn from each other and to jointly develop questions of emerging relevance. All posts should be made by Wednesday of each week to allow enough time for dialogue.
Online journals: It is expected that students will read online journals as part of their investigation into the field of conflict analysis and resolution.
Thought Papers
- Students will write three short papers of 3-5 double-spaced pages during the semester. The papers should be reaction papers focusing on section readings and lecture notes.
- Papers will synthesize theoretical discussions of the preceding weeks.
- The papers will reflect a critical analysis of the reading assignments.
- Papers are due no later than midnight Saturday of the week noted in the course calendar.
On-line Meetings:
Weekly on-line class sessions will be conducted. The date and time
of subsequent class sessions will be set during the first class session.
The first session class date is to be announced. Students will be
notified of the initial class session via their UNC-G E-mail account.
Students will meet in small dialogue groups starting in Unit 3. The expectation is that graduate students should have an opportunity to meet, dialogue about ideas impacting the study of culture and conflict vis-à-vis conflict and conflict resolution, and advance individual knowledge of the conflict analysis and resolution field. The small groups should seek to replicate learning in the classical sense through dialogue. At each group's initial meeting a plan, decided upon through consensus, should be developed on how the meetings will be conducted-meeting dates, times, etc.
Dialogues should focus of the week's readings; however, students should seek opportunities to synthesize the readings working to develop a personal view of conflict.
During weeks 12, 13, and 14, small groups will present online. Each group is free to develop content and presentation methodology. I encourage you to decide early how each individual will participate in developing and presenting the material. The presentation should focus on Traditional Methods for Conflict Resolution - a look at how indigenous (non-dominant culture) conflict resolution methods can be applied to Western cultural conflicts. Each group should prepare handout materials that students can download and add to their course material. The presentation will be in Power Point format on the white board.
If a student is unable to attend an on-line class session, he or she must submit a 1-2 page summary paper focusing on the readings, lecture, and taped class session.
Final Paper:
One 12-15 page final paper summarizing the connection between the various conflict theories addressed in the course and the various applications found in the readings and lecture notes. The paper is due the last week of class.
How Graded
Class Participation: 20%
- Timely submission of Thought Papers.
- Participation in small group presentation focusing on: Cultural Conflict: Processes and Strategies for Addressing Cross-Cultural Issues.
- Raising and answering questions related to the issues.
- Sharing ideas, feelings, personal experiences, and observations.
- Timely postings of critiques.
- Relating and synthesizing the ideas of others.
- Providing constructive feedback on the learning process.
- Helping others develop their views and ideas.
Role Play: 10%
Presentation: 10%
Thought Papers: 30%
Final Paper: 30%
Academic Honor Code: Academic Honor Code: Each student is required to include the following acknowledgement of the Academic Integrity Policy on the final page of all papers submitted for the course: