Prof. Jamie Newton — Spring 2006

(Schedule Number 14650)

Class meetings:......................................................... T & Th, 2:10 – 3:25 p.m., BH 226
Prof's Office hours:................................................... Tuesday 11-12 a.m., Wed. 3-5 p.m. in EP 309
Contact information:................................................. Tel: 338-7557 Email: jnewton@sfsu.edu

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

Conflict is a strikingly prominent feature of contemporary American society and of the world beyond our borders. In the post 9⁄11 era, social conflict and strategies designed to dominate adversaries shape domestic and foreign policies and influence the conditions of our lives in ways that are both glaring and subtle. Neither the ubiquity nor the importance of conflict is new, however. At all levels of social life — from our most intimate personal relationships to our work environments and voluntary associations, from transient encounters to lifelong commitments, from ad hoc groups to institutions that span generations, from face–to–face interactions to international diplomacy and war — potential and actual conflicts have always woven through the rich fabric of human experience. Conflict may involve exploitation, injustice, oppression, and violence. More surprisingly, perhaps, conflict may reveal or generate conditions that are necessary or at least conducive to problem–solving, creativity, and ultimately positive change for some or all of those involved.

In this course, we will foster awareness of conflict processes and cultivate skills that can make you more effective at recognizing, managing, and resolving conflicts. We will explore practical techniques of analysis and resolution of conflict across the continuum from the interpersonal to the societal level, and we will seek foundations of understanding in psychological research and theory. The course is oriented toward nonviolent, cooperative alternatives to coercion and violence — that is, toward approaches to conflict that promote mutually acceptable, sustainable solutions with benefits to all parties.

Psychology classes at SFSU typically include students from backgrounds that are highly diverse with respect to race⁄ethnicity, culture, religion, socioeconomic class, political viewpoints, and many other dimensions of experience and perspective. For this course, diversity is an asset and a potential source of challenges. Please join me in making a serious, conscious commitment to learn from one another. We will strive to combine full academic freedom and frank dialogue with consistent courtesy, mutual respect, and thoughtfulness.

Welcome to the course!

TEXTS

Axelrod, L., and Johnson, R. (2005). Turning Conflict Into Profit: A Roadmap for Resolving Personal and Organizational Disputes. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: The University of Alberta Press.

Pruitt, D. G., and Kim, S. H. (2004). Social Conflict: Escalation, Stalemate, and Settlement. (3rd edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Kirszner, L.G. and Mandell, S.R. (2004). The Pocket Handbook for Psychology. (2nd edition). Boston, Massachusetts: Thomson Wadsworth.

Selections from Christie, D. J., Wagner, R. V., and Winter, Deborah Du Nann, editors. (2001). Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21st Century. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice–Hall. NOTE: A second edition of this book is in preparation, so in late 2005 the publisher stopped distributing the first edition. The SFSU bookstore will sell a reader of selected chapters for our course later in the semester