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.

 

 

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.

            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

 

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 --