Conflict Communication

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the core concepts of a communication approach to describing and analyzing relational conflicts in various contexts. These contexts include personal and family relationships, groups, workplaces, and communities.

• Demonstrate an ability to take the perspective of others in conflicts and recognize our own perspective as a key skill in developing empathy, compassion, care, tolerance, and collaborative progress where possible.

• Demonstrate an ability to apply course concepts to narrative case studies in order to explore, critique, and learn from how people use communication to do differences that have become conflicts. Be able to share these interpretive insights on the appropriate discussion board.

• Demonstrate a specific understanding of the theory and skills of narrative research methodology necessary to effectively collect/re-collect and analyze conflict experiences, understand the layers of meaning and dynamics they entail, and develop the dialogue and negotiation skills that are necessary to effectively address conflicts communicatively. 300 level classes are research based. Apply this understanding of conflict processes and management to a variety of communication contexts through techniques of advising, negotiating, consulting, mediating, facilitating/helping, and transforming.

• Learn how to use the collection, writing, and theoretically grounded interpretation of personal narratives to explore experiences of conflict communication, including yours. In line with the guidelines for “Writing intensive” courses we will use various writing perspectives (self, other, poetic) as an “intensive” way to represent and understand conflict. You will also revise the first draft of your personal conflict narrative.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Two short-answer style exams via QUIZZ	200 points
Point of view/POV writing	100 points
General class discussion board participation	200 points
One main paper (Part 1 personal narrative story of conflict)	100 points
One main paper (Part 2 revised story with course concepts applied)	400 points

Grade Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
900-1000 points	A
800-899 points	B
700-799 points	C
600-699 points	D
Below 600 points	F

Attendance/Participation:

Not specified.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

These books are available for free as e-books under course materials.

• Kellett & Dalton: Managing conflict in a negotiated world: A narrative approach to achieving dialogue and change. Sage.

• Kellett: Conflict dialogue: Working with layers of meaning for productive relationships. Sage.