Conflict Resolution
CNR 660 Syllabus
COURSE NUMBER: CNR 660
COURSE TITLE: Violence in Families: Conflict Resolution and Intervention
CREDITS: 3 SEMESTER CREDITS
PREREQUISITES: None.
FOR WHOM PLANNED: This is an online elective for all residential and online students in the master’s program in Conflict Resolution. It may be taken as a general elective by any graduate student.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION: Dr. Cathie J. Witty, Program Director, North Campus, 5900 Summit Avenue, Brown Summit, NC 27214. (336) 217-5100 or at cjwitty@uncg.edu
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Childhood and lifelong effects of violence and trauma. Focus on conflict intervention strategies and program designs to address the effects of violence in families, schools, and communities. .
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Integrate knowledge of the short- and long-term effects of violence and trauma on children into conflict intervention program design for communities
- Analyze the effects of violence in families in violent communities, subjected to protracted warfare, and subject to forced migration and displacement
- Design conflict intervention programs around the needs of families affected by crime and violence, displaced persons, immigrants and refugees with violent histories
- Asses the impact of structural violence at the group and social level
- Discuss the nature of aggression, hate, fear and violence from a variety of theoretical perspectives
- Compare and contrast social, humanistic and medical models of illness and anti-social behavior
- Analyze social programs aimed at conflict and violence prevention and intervention in schools, communities, corporations, organizations, and correctional institutions
TEACHING STRATEGIES
In this course, we first explore the impact of abuse, neglect and violence on early childhood development, the prevalence of violence in the US and abroad, gang violence in communities, and the historic dimensions of community, regional and state sponsored violence. We then focus on the long term effects of violence and trauma in adult survivors that can be associated with racism, abuse and neglect, domestic violence, gangs and community violence, and violence in schools.
In this shortened online format faculty and students interact asynchronously on the discussion board 2-3 times a week, once a week in a live, face-to-face role play and discussion, and via email if needed. Intensive “real time” chat room exercises are enhanced by webcam and microphone; students and faculty can all see and hear one another in “real time’ and provide live discussion, experiential learning, feedback and evaluation. All skills based online courses in this program have the same commitment to excellence and live, face-to-face student/faculty interaction to make the learning experience as much like the residential classroom as possible.
Following an overview of the sources, origins and impact of violence its related trauma, the course reviews current conflict intervention and community building strategies; special attention is given to the negative impact structural and social violence can have on this process. Students will examine case studies and a variety of violence intervention program designs to analyze strengths and weaknesses in current approaches to these issues. There will be active discussion of the best choices for conflict professionals working to alleviate the profound effects of violence on family and community conflict.
The aim of weekly online class discussion is to help all of us identify and expand the details and implications of the readings, discuss our reactions to the material, share personal experiences, and build a body of experiential and written knowledge.
EVALUATION METHODS AND GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENTS:
Students are expected to attend the online the discussion board each week to post responses to discussion questions posted at the end of lectures and class assignments. Minimum participation for students is four days per week with substantive comments; for faculty, the minimum is five days per week. Substantive is defined as comments which respond to a question or discussion and contribute to the theme of the discussion; comments such as “I agree” or “Yes, you’re right” do not constitute a substantive contribution. Evaluation of the substance of student performance is the responsibility of the faculty.
Online Learning Requirements
Live chats, facilitated by the use of webcams and microphones, will be scheduled at different times so that all time zones represented in the class are accommodated. The goal of the live chat discussion, simulations, role plays and de-briefing is to practice, refine and hone skills related to the course material. Students residing abroad will be put in separate sections to facilitate these real time practice sessions. Students will have substantial experience as facilitator and participant several times during each week; there will be opportunities to de-brief roles and experiences in “live chat” situations, as well as in discussion board analysis and written assignments.
In this class, there will be
- 12 hours of “live” online role plays and group planning and discussion sessions
- a minimum of four substantive log-ins to the discussion board to answer discussion questions from the readings and lectures and respond to the postings of classmates and faculty for a total of four online hours per week, or 20 hours in total; and,
- two hours each week posting analysis of the weeks readings and responding to questions from classmates, for a total of 10 hours.
Class Participation 30%
- raising and answering questions related to the issues in the lectures and readings
- sharing ideas, feelings, personal experiences and observations
- relating and synthesizing the ideas of others
- providing constructive feedback on the learning process
- helping others develop their views and ideas
- participating actively in role play exercises, with intelligent questions and feedback to fellow students and instructor
- engaging online 4 days per week with substantive comments and discussion (Monday to Monday)
One Thought Papers 30%
- students will write a short paper of 5-6 double spaced pages that focuses on either:
- the short and long term effects of violence and trauma on children; or
- the impact of violence on the daily life of families in communities.
- papers will incorporate theoretical and practical issues from weekly online discussion boards and lectures, and
- reflect a critical analysis of the reading assignments
- paper is due at the end of the 3rd week
One Final Analytical Paper 40%
This paper will explore a specific issue related to violence and trauma and its impact on conflict in the lives of children, families and communities. Topics such as violence in schools, human rights based social programs, violence and abuse in families, the effects of violence in American communities, the role of violence in family conflict, the effects of sexual abuse on adult survivors, and systemic violence and its effects on children are examples of appropriate topics. Students should check their final paper topic with the instructor by the end of Unit 2 and receive approval for that topic via email. The paper is due on Sunday of the final week of class.
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REQUIRED TEXTS:
Facing Violence: The Path of Restorative Justice and Dialogue, Umbreit, Vos, Coates and Brown, Criminal Justice Press, 2003.
Trauma and Recovery. Judith Hermann. Basic Books, 1997.
Murder is No Accident. Understanding and Preventing Youth Violence in America. John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
RECOMMENDED READING:
For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child Rearing and the Roots of Violence, Alice Miller, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1990.
The Drama of the Gifted Child. Alice Miller, Basic Books, 1996.
Other readings noted in the unit outline are available through Blackboard and E-reserve at the Jackson Library.
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