Seminar / Hauptseminar: Communication and Conflict Management / Kommunikation und Konflikt Management

    The objective of the seminar is to explore the field of conflict management in theory and in practice. The dictionary definition of conflict is "a battle, contest of opposing forces, discord, antagonism existing between primitive desires and instincts and moral, religious, or ethical ideals" (Webster's). Conflict management is the practice of identifying and handling conflict in a sensible, fair, and efficient manner. Conflict can be managed by developing and using skills such as effective communicating, problem solving, and negotiating with a focus on "interests." Once mastered, conflict management techniques may be used in all aspects of our lives -- home, work, community, school, etc., and conflict management can be applied in politics, business, etc. Das Seminar beinhaltet die Teilbereiche Theorie, Analyse und Praxis. Für einen Teilnahmeschein ist erforderlich: aktive Teilnahme im Seminar und ein schriftlicher Beitrag von 2000 Wörtern. Für einen Leistungsschein is erforderlich: aktive Teilnahme im Seminar und eine Hausarbeit von 8000 Wörtern im Stil des MLA: Modern Language Association of America. Themen für Hausarbeiten müssen mit dem Seminarleiter persönlich besprochen werden.

    Background material used for the seminars include: Axelrod, Alan, and Jim Holtje. 201 Ways to Deal with Difficult People. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997; Augsburger, David W. Conflict Mediation across Cultures: Pathways and Patterns. Louisville: Westminster / John Knox P, 1992; Avruch, Kevin. Culture and Conflict Resolution. Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1998; Brinkmann, Rick, and Rick Kirschner. Dealing with People You Can't Stand: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994; Cohen, Raymond. Negotiating across Cultures. Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1997; Costantino, Cathy A, and Christina Sickles Merchant. Designing Conflict Management Systems: A Guide to Creating Productive and Healthy Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996; Deutsch, Morton, and Peter C. Coleman, eds. The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

    The essay topic for the seminar is as follows: find an example of a conflict (the example can be a personal conflict, a family situation, a business situation, a coroprate example, a political example, a cultural situation, a conflict in current affairs, etc.), describe the conflict briefly, and write a proposal of resoltion or mediation by applying a model of conflict resolution/management/mediation of your choice. Please describe briefly the model you have chosen and please provide the sources of your material in a bibliography of the paper. For an example, please take a look at Conflict Managament Skills , chapter 13 from Gregorio Billikopf Encina's book Labor Management in Ag (U of California Davis). Please write the paper in the length of 2000 words in the MLA style of paranethetical sources and a works cited (for a style guide link to <http://clcwebjournal.lib.purdue.edu/proced2.html>). The essays are to be send in an e-mail to the instructor at <totosy@medienkomm.uni-halle.de> (no attachments, please).

    Conflict situation (class exercise): link to Conflict Managament Skills and select an approach to resolve the conflict situation in group settting in class. Examples of conflict situation (please bring the material to class, e.g., newspaper or other material illustrating the conflict situation: 1) the current Middle East crisis, 2) Any other conflict situation