Conflict and Peace
Syllabus Ð Spring 2007
-- Instructor: Gray Cox
Tuesdays & Fridays
1:00 - 4:00, Seafox
How
does conflict arise and how is it best dealt with? What is peace and how is it
best arrived at or practiced? This course combines a study of some major
theoretical perspectives with lab work practicing skills and disciplines
associated with different traditions of conflict resolution, conflict
transformation and peacemaking.
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The goals of the course are to help
each student:
1.)
develop the skills to better observe, analyse, participate in and reform practices and institutions that
people use to deal with differences.
2.)
collaborate in teams in doing the research and planning needed to undertake
such work effectively
3.)
and collaborate in teams to train others in such skills.
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The
aim is to cultivate these skills for use in group settings as well as at the
macro level in dealing with communities, cultures and civilizations.
The
formats
of the class will alternate between lectures, discussions, films, role plays,
group exercises, interviews with guest visitors, and a variety of other
activities to practice skills and reflect on experiences. Lectures will often
introduce material not covered in the readings Ð sketching a variety of
approaches to conflict resolution and peace making as well as exploring some of
the fundamental questions they pose.
There
will be homework activities to prepare for
some classes.
There
will be two group projects. In the first, the Òmethods groupÓ, you will form a team that
will study a method of dealing with differences [e. g. mediation, facilitation,
non-violent direct action, meditation, nonverbal communication, or gaming
strategies] and offer the rest of the class a training session on this. For the
second project, you will form a Òcase study groupÓ that will make a case study
of some conflict or conflicted setting for which the group will develop an
analysis and propose a plan of action for dealing with the situation Ð a plan
of action that will be directed towards some actual audience that might
actually adopt it.
There
will be two individual papers
required. The first will be a reflection
on your personal style, resources and challenges for dealing with differences
and conflicts. The second will be a review of one of the books profiled in SEEING THE
ELEPHANT which presents its core ideas AND provides an account, from their
point of view, of the current situation in Iraq and how the U. S. should deal
with it.
If
you take this course for a letter grade the weighting of the final grade will
be based on 25% class participation and homework, 25% methods group project,
25% case study group project, 25% individual papers. In both cases the group
projects will be evaluated on the basis of how well they might satisfy the
interests and meet the appropriate criteria that the target audiences would
actually use to evaluate the work. The group projects and the individual papers
will also be evaluated on the basis of how well they make appropriate use of the
theories and methods studied in the course in their analysis.
While
this course is listed as at the ÒintermediateÓ level it will be possible to
adapt readings and activities for people who want to take it at the more
advanced level. To do so they should consult with Gray.
Readings
for the course will include three required texts available at ShermanÕs: GETTING TO YES by Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce
Patton; ESSENTIAL WRTINGS by Thich Nhat Hanh, PREPARING FOR PEACE: CONFLICT
TRANSFROMATION ACROSS CULTURES by John Paul Lederach,); and SEEING THE
ELEPHANT: THE U. S. ROLE IN GLOBAL SECURITY by Hans Binnendijk and Richard L.
Kugler Ð and one recommended text which is also available at ShermanÕs: THE
ESSENTIAL GANDHI: AN ANTHOLOGY OF HIS WRITINGS ON HIS LIFE, WORK AND IDEAS by
Mahatma Gandhi (ed. By Louis Fischer.
For an advanced group there may be the option of setting up a reading
seminar that works through THE WAYS OF PEACE: A PHILOSOPHY OF PEACE AS ACTION
by Gray Cox. There will also be a
variety of short xerox handouts.
My
office is on the third floor of Davis. My telephone is extension #326 or
#288-3888. My hours will be Wednesday 9:00-11:00 am and Thursday 2:30-4:00 pm and other times by appointment or
coincidence.
Schedule of Classes
3/29 Syllabus review,
introductions, intro to Ways of Peace analysis
4/1 GETTING TO
YES pp. 1-39, handout from THE WAYS OF PEACE
discussion
& role play set up
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4/3 GTY pp.
40-80 and xerox on just war,
role
play
DUE:
Case Study group proposal
4/6 Walter Wink
Handout
THICH
NHAT HANH: ESSENTIAL WRITINGS (Ch. 1)
DUE:
Personal Statement on style and approaches to conflict
4/10 GTY pp. 81-148
DUE:
Case study group initial report defining the conflict
4/13 THE CONQUEST OF
VIOLENCE, pp. 1-52; TNH Ch. 2
Mini-lecture
on transarmament
4/17 CV pp. 53-104
Selections
from films, GANDHI and A FORCE MORE POWERFUL
4/20 xerox of HIND SWARAJ; TNH Ch. 3
4/24 SEEING THE ELEPHANT, pp. 1-58
4/27 STE, pp. 59-104 ; TNH
Ch 4
5/1 Methods
trainings Ð and STE readings pp.
105-160
5/4 Methods
trainings Ð and STE readings pp.
161-216;
Facilitation
5/8 Methods
trainings -- STE pp. 218-276;
Domestic Violence
5/11 Methods trainings --
PREPARING FOR PEACE, pp. 1-46; TNH
Ch. 5
Nonviolence
Training
5/15 PFP, pp. 47- 84 Methods
Training -- Schools
5/18 PFP, pp. 85-128
5/22 Case Study reports Ð
and STE pp. 277-292
5/25 Case Study reports and
GTY 150-200
5/29 Final Role Play: The
National Security Council Debates Iraq Policy (Using the perspectives of
authors who are ÒSeeing the ElephantÓ)
6/1 Case
Study reports -- Closing, course evaluations, celebration
Books
Evelyn Ð Moises Naim, ILLICIT
Sam
-- CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS
Carly Ð AMERICA AND THE AGE OF GENOCIDE
Elizabeth Ð
Heidi Ð Bernard Lewis, THE CRISIS OF
ISLAM
Hajja Ð Middle East and Angry Islam
Helena Ð
Maggie --