Fundamentals of Conflict Studies
Spring 2007
•Syllabus Review
•Personal Introductions
•Course Perspectives
Working Definitions of “Conflict”
• Conflict means perceived divergence of interest, or a belief that the parties' current aspirations cannot be achieved simultaneously. (Pruitt and Rubin)
• Conflict is a struggle between opponents over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources. (Coser)
• A social conflict arises when two or more persons or groups manifest the belief that they have incompatible objectives. (Kriesberg)
By Unit of Analysis
Interpersonal (Conflict as a function of personality)
Inter-Group (Conflict as a function of group dynamics)
International(Conflict as a function of strategic interests or systemic insecurity)
By Type
• Public Policy Disputes
• Environmental Conflicts
• International Conflicts
• Workplace Conflicts
• Interpersonal Conflicts
• Racial / Ethnic Conflicts
• Violent Conflicts
Course Structure
• How does this course approach the study of conflicts?– Interdisciplinary– Analytical– Personal
The Four Perspectives Model
• There are four dominant perspectives through which conflicts and conflict transformation are typically analyzed.
Structural-Systemic Perspective
Emotional Perspective
Cognitive Perspective
InterestsPerspective
Anatomy of a
Conflict: A Framewor
k for Analysis
Structural Interest Cognitive Emotional
Core
Concerns
•Distribution of power & resources
•‘Built-in’ structural inequalities
•Underlying interests, goals and objectives
•Beliefs
•Schemas
•Frames
•Fear
•Loss and grief
•Rage
•Pathology
Goals Justice Integration or compromise
Reframing Healing
Conflict Management Techniques
•Revolution
•Re-distribution
•De-construction
Negotiation / mediation•compromise•bargaining•win-win
Facilitated contact
•Truth-telling•Public
Acknowledge- ment•Forgiveness
• A Victims of Terrorism group protests in Madrid during the trial of a suspected member of the Basque separatist group ETA.
Group Work
• Discuss the conflict from each of the four perspectives. Which perspectives are most important?
• Which conflict resolution approaches flow from your analysis?
–All perspectives have important contributions to make but …. It is the conditions and contexts of the conflict that determine which has the best explanatory power
Premises for the Semester• Conflicts are a natural, inevitable and
essential aspect of social interaction.• Conflicts can be waged constructively or
destructively• Conflicts are socially constructed• Constructive conflict management begins
with being able to ‘see’ more than one perspective
• Insights about conflicts and conflict management can be applied across all levels of analysis.
• You can disagree with any of these premises
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