An overview of the conflict resolution theory Essay Example for Free

An overview of the conflict resolution theory Essay Conflict Resolution Theory In conflict resolution, preconceived notions, also called the natural cognitive sorting processes, are the stimuli that unwittingly foment war. By taking a look at individual and intergroup relations, one can better grasp conflict resolution as a way of mediation which may lessen the probabilities of the outbreak of political violence. This essay takes a close examination of the effect of individual-level models of change to inspire change at the social level. The scaling up the process from individual treatment to social has its strengths and weakness. Controlled communication, sensitivity training, Freud’s hydraulic model, complex mirroring and conscious raising psychotherapy are experimented means in conflict resolution to dissolve conflict at both individual and general levels. The natural cognitive sorting mechanism of dividing people into ‘us’ and ‘them’ engenders prejudice and in the long run, political violence. This perspective is typical to The Self and The Other concept in which people and groups are constructed to exclude the other or any entity that is perceived as foreign and to include the self or other entities affiliated to the self. â€Å"Protracted social conflicts typically involve an enduring set of antagonistic perceptions and interactions between communal groups†¦negative attributions of motivations and reciprocal negative images perpetuate the antagonisms and solidify the conflict† (Fisher 1997). This concept breeds the antagonization of groups which turns one group against the other, deepening rifts and sharpening rivalry. Since this type of social cognitive process emphasizes differences between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ an elitism can arise which advantages one group over the othe r and fosters an unhealthy intergroup competition and mutual exclusion. With mutual degradation and demonized motives, each group continues to not only drift apart but rub against each other in a frictional relationship to produce an aggression fire. At the national level, us and them dichotomy leads to jingoism which is a chauvinistic form of nationalism. This ideology promotes the suppression of one and the superiority of a people. Fanatical patriotism and the prejudiced belief propose that another party must suffer in the power imbalance. (Paris 2004) agrees that â€Å"exclusionary forms of nationalism also make enemies of excluded groups.† In other words, one nation categorizes, segregates and disadvantages another. As a consequence, the excluded party harbors resentment toward the opposing group. Resentment begets tension-filled relations, which beget mistrust. The polarizing effect of the ‘us’ and ‘them’ construct leads inevitably to suspicion and in a competitive environment, to perceived inequalities. Inequalities result in the categorization of an oppressed and an oppressor, the victimized and the victimizer. At a particular point, one group arrives at a breaking point, demanding the redr ess of wrongs whether real or perceived and an equalizing of the playing field. (Fisher 1997) also recognizes that some â€Å"conflicts arise when identity groups perceive that they are oppressed and victimized through a denial of recognition, security, equity and political participation.† Imbalances of power stimulate one group to react or even retaliate – hence hostilities erupt. It was a wave of nationalism which provokes WWII in which the Aryan Germans attempt to purge Germany of ‘unwanted elements’ for the sake of the country. Similarly, in the case of Rwanda and other countries, ethnic cleansing or genocide take place because of inequality and a false sense of nationalism. Sorting out the Natural Cognitive Processes To arrive at conflict resolution, one must broach the theme of altering intergroup perceptions. This method is an individual-to-social strategy in which with a third party intervention, both groups can mutually exchange opinions and feelings. John Burton pioneers and implements a â€Å"casework approach,† a term used in social work to explain the methods implemented to solve an in individual or group problem. Controlled communication signifies a way to forge effective communication habits. Burton asserts that the source of conflict is miscommunication and the source of miscommunication is distorted worldviews or perceptions of the other. In practicing controlled communication, groups can share their prejudices and biases in a setting that diffuses anger and sets a more amicable tone for talks would help improve relations. Also, Leonard Doob advocates sensitivity training which progresses the transition from individual-level change to collective change. He puts forward that a s mall representative group ventilates their perceptions, opinions, and concerns to create awareness and better grasping of group processes. The sensitivity training workshop is similar to a psychological therapy conducted by a third party. Ideas and feelings are shared to increase interpersonal effectiveness. (Toft 2010) declares that giving voice to former combatants is a mechanism in conflict resolution to craft negotiation settlements in which â€Å"renewed violence can be averted.† This rule follows the sensitivity training theory which enhances sympathy and increases chances at understanding and positive change. In Sigmund Freud’s group processes theory, he posits that the group’s way of thinking is spawned directly from the individual’s. In Freud’s hydraulic model, the principle is that just as it is dangerous to suppress feelings for fear of compounding them for a more violent eruption, so at the social level, it is risky to continually inhibit ill-feeling by conflict resolution (Strachey 1966); instead, venting would help diffuse tensions and instead of internalizing the resentment, the person finds relief in expression. In his work â€Å"Give War a Chance† (Luttwak 1999) examines the effect of peacekeeping which only temporarily resolves the issue by satisfying parties. However, he advocates war as the means of reaching a more definitive and longer lasting conflict resolution. Complex Mirroring Complex mirroring within the group setting is a way in which the individual change scalps up to the group level change. In remedying traumatized individuals, the victims join themselves to a group and begin to mirror one another’s feelings and experiences. A critic notices that â€Å"by listening to one another’s individual presentation of personal experiences, participants gain a new perspective†¦by listening to the series of such descriptions, they gained the experience of universality† (Herman 1997). As a result, the individual-level change dynamic transmutes into the group-level change. As one witness the effect of trauma, the support group experiences secondary trauma as wounded members relate their experiences and seek emotional support. The incidence of secondary trauma gives rise to empowerment and awareness. Kathie Sarachild formulated the conscious-raising psychotherapy structures specifically for the individual but which could be used â€Å"to ef fect social rather than individual change† (Herman 1997). This method was implemented for rape-victims who were silenced by the violence and trauma inflicted by another. In the scope of social change, political violence is a grave injustice inflicted by one and visited upon the other. A remedial path is a sensitization rather than retaining the silence over the injury. As the public’s consciousness heightens, a cure has to be suggested and taken. The beneficial result is that â€Å"changes at the individual level were being linked with policy processes at the macro level† (Fisher 1997). Conflict Resolution Strengths and Weaknesses In conflict resolution, a strength of the individual to group model application is that groups comprise a conglomerate body in which individual mirroring gradually filters into the group’s ethics. The reasoning is that a group is comprised of individuals and since a group is made up of individuals, then a method aimed at effecting change in an individual can also be applied to the group. However, this method does not factor in the wide diversity of the individuals belonging to a group. One rigid rule utilized for one individual cannot work for a group because this view only facilitates the one-size-fits-all theory which is not socially viable. References: Fisher, R.J. (1997). Interactive Conflict Resolution, Syracuse University Press, New York. Herman, J.L. (1997). Trauma and Recovery. Basic Books Publishers, New York. Anonymous. (1996). Human Rights in Peace Negotiations, Human Rights Quarterly,18(2), 249- 258. Luttwak, E. (1999).   Give War a Chance, Journal of Foreign Affairs, 78 (4), 36-44 http://www.jstor.org/stable/20049362. Accessed 14 December 2011. Strachey, J. (1966). The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis, Vol. 22, Toft, M.D. (2010). Ending Civil Wars: A Case for Rebel Victory, Journal of International Security, 34 (2), 7-36. Paris, R. (2004). At War’s End: Building Peace after Civil Conflict. Cambridge University Press.

Essay --

Jeff Leone The Colorado River â€Å"Don’t waste that water! Kids in Africa don’t even have water to drink!† Almost every American has heard this saying before. We have heard this because there are water shortages in third world countries like Africa, as seen in the movie â€Å"Blue Gold†. But why have we developed this notion that there are only water shortages in third world countries? When in reality, there is a shortage of water right here in our home country. The Colorado River’s water is high in demand as it serves millions of people, powers industries, and is home to all different kinds of wildlife. The Colorado River will not be able to keep up with the increasing demand of water and soon enough the river will go dry. Organizations like the Colorado River Water Users Association are trying to change the way that the water is used and adjust how it is managed. The Colorado River is drying up and the western states are running out of water, however, public policy is trying to regulate and preserve the Colorado River to make it more sustainable in the future. The Colorado River, which has so many uses and serves so many, is running out of water. The river delivers water and power to nearly 30 million people who live in the basin states. (River Uses) That includes people who live in Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, California, Wyoming and Mexico. In addition, the river is crucial to the economy because â€Å"throughout the seven basin states, the Colorado River provides water for people and for business and industry - creating jobs for millions, jobs that contribute to local economies and billions of dollars to the nation.† (River Uses) The river is also important as it provides irrigation to about 1.4 million acres of land for fa... ...ld 17.5 million acre-feet (5.7 trillion gallons) of water. However†¦ The river now averages about 14.7 million acre-feet per year† (National geographic) In addition, the water level of the rivers two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have dropped over the past couple of years. (National Geographic) One of the biggest signs that the river is struggling is that it discharges little to no water to the sea for months at a time. (National Geographic) The Colorado River is on a path that will take it to its end. The river is running out of water and cannot keep up with the high demand. New technology and growing industries require more water and more power. Organizations are attempting to solve the problem through public policy but the task may prove too large. Humans have changed the coarse of nature and it is up to us to come together and fight for change.

Burning Bright

Is It Love? â€Å"Burning Bright† is a story about an older woman marrying a man young enough to be her son. Marcie is almost sixty. When her husband Arthur died and the local help fell away, she endured incredible loneliness at the end of a five-mile dirt track until the church recommended a handyman, Carl, who could help out on the farm. This silent man from nowhere marries Marcie, but remains mysterious. In the twenty-first century, seeing an older women and a young man is common. For most people though, the question is if the couple is truly in love.Many older women and men have large sums of money which could be given to their younger spouse if they die. In Rosh Rash's â€Å"Burning Bright,† Marcie is much older than Carl, and there is a huge disconnect in their relationship because of age. The first question that has to be answered is if Marcie's marriage with Carl is a believable love story. I think that it is not really a true love story. There is a part in the story where Carl and Marcie are talking about why he has not been married, and Carl tells Marcie that she is not too old for him(Rash 7).Farther on in the story, when Marcie and Carl got together, they did not have the typical fairytale love story meeting. Carl met Marcie because of the preacher giving him some much needed work. He got laid off from his carpentry Job. Marcie dated Carl Just because she became lonely. Later, they are at dinner, and Marcie thought that their conversation would get more comfortable. When she tries to talk to him about the fire, Carl is very short with her on words and tries to make the conversation short. He did not like to be around her, so he would sit outside and attend to himself.When they go to bed, they show love to each other, but it is the same thing every day. It is basically a routine for them. One of the examples that they use for their routine would be when Marcie says, â€Å"But at night as she readied herself for bed, he'd always come in . Theyd lie down together and he'd turn to kiss her good night, always on the mouth. Three, four nights a week that kiss would linger and then quilts and sheets would be pulled back (Rash). † I found this particularly interesting at the end of the story when Marcie chooses to pray for rain. She is praying for Carl to stop burning items.She also praying for her quality of life back, something Carl could give her. Marcie mentions she thought the longer they were together, the more he would talk, but it is not so. I think that their marriage will probably not last as long as they want it too, but as long as their both trying to work things out together, as of getting Carl to talk they relationship should be great. Now days, couples Just like Marcie and Carl. Some relationships are different than Marcie and Carl's relationship. What are some thoughts about the relationships in the world today that's Just like Marcie and Carl?

Nature and Nurture in Psychology - 2076 Words

Name : Mavin Ochola Waganda Topic : Nature and nurture of Psychology Table of Contents Introduction 3 Nature and Nurture 3 The three distinctive schools of thoughts 3 Nature and our Biology 4 Nurture and our Behavior 4 Black and Whites in 17th centaury 5 Intelligence 5 Hostility 6 Nurture and the Inborn 6 Children perspective 7 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10 Introduction Nature and nurture issue has its root far back in the seventeenth century when psychologist wanted to know more about psychology. Before we even start discussing this big issue that has brought a lot of argument amongst scholars, it is important first of all to understand psychology itself and how it is related to nature and nurture. According to (G.Myers, 2001), he†¦show more content†¦In his journal, (McClearn, 1993) states a research done by the Mogul emperor Akbar who reared children in isolation to discover whether their natural religion would be Hinduism, the Christian faith, or some other creed. This experiment was a failure: It only produced deaf mutes. The implied assumption in these so-called experiments is that environment contributes more than inheritance to human talents: Experiences has the power to hide the inborn nature of an individual. Through this research, we are able to understand that even though we appreciate nature, more of nurture influences our pers onality and the way we behave. To understand nurture, our psychology lecture (A.Nzangi) pointed out in one of her lecture that both gene and environment affect our behavior and hence they can’t work on their own but need each other. Nurture is the environment aspect that builds up our behavior. Example of what the environment influences to make up our behavior are; our character (morals and values), career choice, the language we speak, and our perception about life (religion, social, and political aspect in life). Black and Whites in 17th century Intelligence According to (Lawson, Goldstein, Musty, 1975), they explained a research done by Shuey (1966) that tried to prove that the whites were more intelligent than the blacks and other non-whites. It also tried to explain why blacks are more aggressive than the whites. On the intelligence facet, the researchShow MoreRelatedPsychology : Nature Vs Nurture869 Words   |  4 Pages Let’s Talk About Psychology For many years, psychologists have been interested in studying human behavior and how our brains function. Psychological research has been mainly geared towards discovering parts of the brain, and the environment that influences our behavior as individuals. In other words, research aims to provide reasons why people behave the way they do, and what makes individuals different from each other. Much to the joy of experts in the field, major strides have been made in notRead MorePsychology, Nature Vs. 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