Introduction to Conflict Resolution

This introductory course text explores the genealogy of the field of conflict resolution by examining three different epochs of the field, each one tied to the historical context and events of the day.

Introduction / Part I: Epoch One: 1945 -- the Fall of the Berlin Wall / 1. Epoch One: Topics / a) Greed and Grievance: Collier: Economic Causes of Conflict and their Implications for Policy / b) Structural Violence: Galtung (Promotion of Peace) / c) Human Needs: Burton: Violence Explained: Needs Theory / d) Aggression: Barash and Webel: The Individual Level. / 2. Epoch One: Tactics & Strategies / a) Negotiation: Thompson: Negotiation: The Mind and Heart / b) Alternative Dispute Resolution: (ADR): Sander / c) Problem Solving Workshops: Kelman: Evaluating Contributions of Problem Solving to the Resolution of Ethnonational Conflict / Epoch One: Research Methodology / a) Global Peace Index 2014: Suggested: Global Terrorism Index / b) Failed States: Goldstone: Failed states
Part II: Epoch 2: Coexistence as Peace / Epoch Two: Topics / a) Identity: Korostelina: Social Identity and Conflict: Structures, Dynamics, and Implications / b) Culture: Avruch: Culture and Conflict Resolution / c) Gender: Cheldelin & Eliatamby: Challenging the Dominant Narrative (Women Waging War and Peace) / d) Religion: Gopin: Imagine Coexistence: Religion as an Aid and a Hindrance to Post-conflict Coexistence Work / Moral Values and Intractable Conflict / a) Chosen Trauma: Volkan: Transgenerational Transmissions and Chosen Traumas: An Aspect of Large-Group Identity / b) Moral Conflict: Pearce and Littlejohn: When Social Worlds Collide / c) Intractable Conflict: Coleman: Intractable Conflict as an Attractor: A Dynamical Systems Approach to Conflict Escalation and Intractability / Epoch Two: Approaches / a) Emotion: Fischer and Shapiro: Using Emotions as You Negotiate / b) Mediation: Curle: Mediation / c) Appreciate Inquiry: McClellan Marrying Positive Psychology to Mediation/ d) Coexistence: Chayes: Imagining Coexistence / e) Truth and Reconciliation: Rotberg and Thompson: Truth v. Justice: the Morality of Truth Commissions / f) Peacebuilding: Lederach: The Elicitive model: Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation Across Cultures / g) Non-violence: Sharp: Facing Acute Conflict: Waging Nonviolent Struggle / Epoch Two: Research Methods / a) Grounded Theory: Akinyoake: Developing Grounded Theory in Peace and Conflict Research / b) Cross-cutting Analyses: Gurr: A Global Analyses / c) Ethnography: Nordstrom: Prologue (Chapter 1) Shadows of War
Part III: Epoch 3 - Living in the Tensions / 1. Epoch Three: Topics / Power and Marginalization / a) Power: Jabri: Discourses on Violence. Conflict Analysis Reconsidered / b) Narrative Repair: Nelson: Reclaiming Moral Agency /c) Politics of Victimhood: Enns: When Victims Become Killers /d) Contentious Coexistence: Payne: Unsettling Accounts / Politics of Voice / a) Cobb: Introduction: Speaking of Violence / b) Trauma: Danieli: Essential Elements of healing after massive trauma: complex needs voiced by victims/survivors/ c) Gender: Enloe: Bananas, Beaches, and Bases / d) Silence: Dwyer: A Politics of Silences: Violence, Memory and Treacherous Speech in Post-1965 Bali / Epoch Three: Praxis / a) Mutual Liberation: Freire: Oppressors and oppressed liberate each other / b) Narrative Mediation: Winslade: Narrative Mediation: What is it? / c) Critical Theory: Hansen: Critical Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice / d) Radical Care: Ginwright: Fostering Caring Relationships for Social Justice / e) Social Media: Castells: Dignity, Violence and Geopolitics: The Arab Uprisings / f) Upending Normative Processes: Gardner: The Dork Police / Epoch Three: Research / a) Participatory Action Research (PAR) Bruenlin, Himelstein and Nelson: "Our Stories, Told By Us" The Neighborhood Story Project in New Orleans / b) Decolonizing Research: Simpson: Aboriginal Peoples and Knowledge: Decolonizing our Processes / Conclusion