Human Rights Syllabi: Conflict and Conflict Resolution

Conflict and Conflict Resolution

Spring, 2002 Professor Robert K. Hitchcock
MWF, 11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. Department of Anthropology and
Love Library 103 Geography, 121 Bessey Hall

GTA: Ann Putz

Cross-listed as Anthropology 261, Political Science 261, Psychology 261, and Sociology 261

Course Purpose

This course is an interdisciplinary one that examines issues of conflict and conflict resolution from an anthropological, historical, political, psychological, and sociological perspective. Conflict resolution is a necessary skill for any individual to be able to succeed in the contemporary world. The course examines conflicts and dispute resolution strategies at the individual, community, group, national, regional, and global levels. Various explanations for conflicts are explored, and social, philosophical, moral, and ideological issues are addressed.

Instructor: Dr. Robert Hitchcock, Department of Anthropology and Geography 121 Bessey Hall, Tel: (402) 472-2480, email: rhitchco@unlnotes.unl.edu, office hours: MW 1:30-4:30 p.m. or by appointment

Graduate Teaching Assistant: Ann Putz, Department of Anthropology, 112 Bessey Hall, Tel: (402) 472-3817, email: aeputz@hotmail.com, office hours: MWF 10:00-11:00 a.m. or by appointment

Required Readings

Crocker, Chester A., Fen Osler Hampson, and Pamela Aall, eds. (2001) Turbulent Peace: The Challenges of Managing International Conflict. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press

Gurr, Ted Robert and Barbara Harff (1993) Ethnic Conflict in World Politics. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

Recommended Readings

Betts, Richard K. (2002) Conflict After the Cold War: Arguments on Causes of War and Peace. Second Edition. New York and London: Longman.

Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict (1997) Preventing Deadly Conflict. New York: Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Eller, Jack David (1999) From Culture to Ethnicity to Conflict: An Anthropological Perspective on International Ethnic Conflict. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Renner, Michael (1999) Ending Violent Conflict. Worldwatch Paper 146. Washington, D.C.: Worldwatch Institute.

Ury, William (2000) The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop. New York: Penguin.

Concepts Addressed in the Course on Conflict and Conflict Resolution

Some of the concepts to be addressed in this course include the causes and consequences of violence, mediation, negotiation, conflict management, dispute resolution (law), peace making and peace keeping, intercultural and intracultural communication, bargaining, business ethics, international and interpersonal relations, diplomacy, globalization, organizational behavior, and strategies for breaking cycles of violence. Note: Copies of overheads and information are available at the Love Library circulation desk and at the Geosciences Library circulation desk.

Examinations and Grades

There will be three examinations in the course. There is also a term paper and a report on a public lecture that are required.

Grading Scale

Mid-term Exam No. 1 50 points
Mid-Term Exam No. 2 50 points
Final Exam (Exam no. 3) 50 points
Research Paper 75 points

TOTAL 225 points

Student Rights and Responsibilities

As in all courses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the rights and responsibilities of students in this course are governed by the Student Code of Conduct, a copy of which can be found in the UNL Undergraduate Bulletin

Course Format

The format of the course will include lectures, guest lectures, audiovisual presentations, mediation exercises, and attendance of outside lectures, including ones from the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues, the Human Rights and Human Diversity Initiative lecture series, the Winter Lecture Series, and other lecture series at UNL or in Lincoln. Conflict and Conflict Resolution students are expected to attend and do an assessment of one (1) public lecture. Guidelines for the speaker reviews will be handed out in the class.

Outside Speakers

There are various speakers who come to Lincoln and Omaha and other places in Nebraska that deal with issues relating to conflict and conflict resolution. Some of these speakers include those who are part of the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues and those who come as part of the various interdisciplinary programs at UNL (e.g. the Human Rights and Human Diversity Initiative, the Humanities Center, the Great Plains Studies Center). There are also departmental or student-organization sponsored speakers at UNL. In addition, there are speakers who are community-sponsored (e.g. those at the Winter Lecture Series held at the Unitarian Church, with support from the Nebraska Humanities Council).

Paper and Project Report Formats

The course papers and project reports should include (a) a title page with the paper title, course name and number, student name, identification number, and date, (b) an abstract - a brief, one- paragraph statement summarizing the project, (c) the body of the paper or field project document, and (d) a list of any relevant research material or references. All papers and reports should be typed. Standard referencing should be used. Full citations for website data are expected, including the http number, title, author(s), and date.

Field Project Option

Though most students in conflict and conflict resolution courses may never have the opportunity to carry out a full-scale field project on conflict and conflict management issues, they can enjoy a taste of what it is like to "do conflict resolution work." Ours is a large, complex culture in a sociological and anthropological sense, a culture so extensive and intricate that none of us is familiar with all of it. One can experience much of what a conflict manager gets to deal with in communities and institutions by seeking out and exploring a part of our own diverse world.

One can begin this exploration by working with a community organization, an environmental group, or an agency involved in conflict resolution or social work. During the course of this exploration, you can take part in a project or set of activities that can be documented in the form of a journal, set of notes, or audio tapes (which must be obtained with the permission of the people involved). The report on the field project can be a problem- oriented analysis of the work you did, observed, or learned about, and/or an assessment of the goals, objectives, and successes or failures of the organization.

One way to approach the field project would be to do what in development terms is an institutional analysis by looking at the structure, function, and strategies of the organization or group. Another way to do it would be to monitor the work of the group or organization, examining through time its activities. A third way to do the field project is to do an evaluation of the work of the group or organization. An evaluation is an examination of the activities at the end of the time that you observed, worked with, or interviewed them and what kinds of impacts they had.

If questions arise about the best way in which to approach the field project document or poster presentation, please see the instructor or graduate teaching assistant.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION HITCHCOCK/PUTZ
ANTH, POLY SCI, PSYCH, SOC 261 SPRING, 2002

LECTURE TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
________________________________________________________________________

Week Dates Topic(s) Readings
________________________________________________________________________

1 Jan 14-18 Introduction to Conflict Crocker, Introduction, Ch. 1
And Conflict Resolution Gurr, Ch. 1
2 Jan 21-25 Causes of Conflict Crocker, 2, 3, Gurr, 2
3 Jan 28-Feb 1 Contexts of Conflict: Crocker, 4-7, Gurr, 3,
Systemic Levels
4 Jan 29-Feb 2 States and Societies Crocker 8-11
5 Feb 4-8 Leadership, Intervention Crocker, 12-15, Gurr 5
FIRST EXAMINATION, Friday, February 8, 2002
6 Feb 11-15 Intervention, Military Gurr, 4, Crocker, 16-20
And Assistance
7 Feb 18-22 Non-government Organizations Crocker, 21-23, 37
And Intervention
8 Feb 25-March 1 Negotiation, Mediation Crocker 24-27, Gurr, 6
9 Mar 4-8 Negotiation, the United Nations Gurr, 7, Crocker, 28-32
l0 Mar 11-15 International Organizations, Law Crocker 33-36
SECOND EXAMINATION, Friday, March 15, 2002
11 March 18-22 SPRING BREAK
12 March 25-29 Solutions to Civil and Political Crocker, 38-40, Gurr, 8
Conflict, Private, International
13 April 1-5 Peacekeeping and Peace Making I Crocker, 41-43, Gurr 9
14 Apr 8-12 Peacekeeping and Peace Making II Crocker, 44, 45
15 Apr 15-19 Post-Conflict Reconstruction Crocker, 46, 47
16 Apr 22-26 Prediction, Prevention, and Crocker, 48
The role of Religion
17 Apr 29-May 3 Toward a Culture of Prevention Crocker, 49
RESEARCH PAPERS DUE Friday, May 3, 2002
18 May 6-10 Final Examination Week
FINAL EXAMINATION, Thursday, May 9, 10:00-12:00 noon
______________________________________________________________________________
Note: Crocker = Crocker, Chester A., Fen Osler Hampson, and Pamela Aall, eds. (2001) Turbulent Peace: The Challenges of Managing International Conflict. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press; Gurr = Gurr, Ted Robert and Barbara Harff (1993) Ethnic Conflict in World Politics. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. 1 5

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