Carpenter & Kennedy, "Adopting Procedures" Ch. 6
This chapter deals with the procedural piece of conflict intervention and management. The authors discuss the importance of adopting procedures, educating the parties, and developing options. Like the Duke et al chapter, this chapter talks about ground rules and emphasizes spending time on making sure everyone is on the same page at the table. The authors talk about how many participants argue that there is not enough time to spend on this piece of negotiation, but it is important to try to get them to invest the time.
It seems as though it is natural for people to want to jump in and try to resolve issues. At the same time, it seems reasonable that if parties are already at a stage where they need intervention, a deeper process is important and likely to be helpful. Working together to develop procedures and ground rules could be a great way to get people to unite and agree when they haven't agreed on anything in a long time. Maybe demonstrating where parties do agree could be a catalyst to change; however, it seems like frustration from spending time not talking about the "real issues" could cause some people to close up.
Duke, et al. Reaching for Higher Ground, Ch. 5
This chapter discusses reaching "higher ground" by creating a group covenant. It outlines six elements for creating this covenant: 1. Establish the need, 2. Educate and inspire, 3. Begin by envisioning desired outcomes, 4. Promote full participation, 5. Be accountable, 6. Evaluate and revise. The authors give several examples of the importance of establishing an agreement between conflicting groups on basic values in gaining a successful resolution outcome.
I really liked the "toolbox" portions of this chapter. The authors gave a lot of specific examples of ways to incorporate their six elements for creating a covenant into real negotiation situations. It seemed to me as though some of the tips that were given could be dangerous in some situations. For example, they offered the idea of having participants "police" the negotiation in order to keep everyone in check on the ground rules. It seems like this could be highly offensive, though maybe this strategy is helpful because it makes people extremely cautious of breaking rules for fear of peer criticism.
Spangle and Isenhart: Negotiation Ch. 3
This chapter dealt with 7 theories that can be applied to negotiation settings. The theories introduced are: 1. Identity theory, 2. Social interaction theory, 3. Field theory, 4. Human need theory, 5. Rational choice theory, 6. Transformation theory, 7. Mutual gains theory. The authors argue that, although studying theories may be tedious, it is important to know the underlying causes and factors involved in conflict and negotiation when entering into a negotiation. The authors, in some cases, address how the theories apply to both the parties to the conflict and to the negotiators themselves.
I had already heard of many of the theories that are presented in this chapter; however, i thought it was useful to see them laid out in this way. I agree that it is important to understand different theories when going into negotiation; however, i disagree with the idea that it's desirable to jump into negotiation without studying the theories. Personally, I find knowing the theories comforting when trying to intervene in conflict or even when participating in conflict because I feel like it helps me to deal with differences in opinion without being insulted. I liked the application of the theories to negotiators because it is important to think about what the negotiators bring to the table as well and what assumptions they have that might get in the way.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
February 24: Cases
Ratnavale. (2009) Sri Lanka's "Ethnic" Conflict in Carter, et. al. Regional and Ethnic Conflict. Ch. 7 pg. 159-179.
This case study examined the conflict in Sri Lanka between the Tamils and Sinhalese. Although these two groups come from similar mixed ethnic backgrounds, they see each other as two separate groups and are highly segregated in society. When Sri Lanka was under rule by England, the Tamils had greater power due to their status as a minority and therefore low level of threat. When Sri Lanka gained independence, the Sinhalese took power and quickly made sure to prevent the Tamils from having any chance at overcoming that power. The author argues that the Sinhalese had the mindset of a minority even though they were the majority in their own land. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was the main representative group of the Tamils. This group was much smaller than the Sri Lankan Army and resorted to guerrilla warfare to gain an upperhand on its enemy. The group was soon viewed as a terrorist organization and needed to fight that image in order to gain respect and monetary support. Getting rid of this image also became important when peace talks and negotiations began to be considered. A cease-fire was established through the help of Norwegian interveners. Talks between the two groups continued in an effort to resolve the conflict and find a way for the groups to live peacefully together. Religious groups aided in this process by speaking out and praying together.
I found this case study very interesting because I didn't know anything about the conflict in Sri Lanka. It is upsetting to see how British colonial policies are still affecting the world so dramatically. I think this article is important when considering ethnic conflict because it shows how much depends on groups perceiving and believing that they are different rather than just being ethnically different. I also really liked the idea presented of judging history from its own perspective. People tend to look at history and judge actions that groups made based on the present situation. In this way, they can gather support against a group by showing all of the "bad" things that it has done. Lastly, I was really impressed by the efforts of religious groups to come together and try to inspire unity in the people. That is something that doesn't seem to be very common today. Religious leaders tend to have more power than any other kind of leaders when it comes to moral action; therefore it seems as though they could be more likely to incite social change than political authorities.
This case study examined the conflict in Sri Lanka between the Tamils and Sinhalese. Although these two groups come from similar mixed ethnic backgrounds, they see each other as two separate groups and are highly segregated in society. When Sri Lanka was under rule by England, the Tamils had greater power due to their status as a minority and therefore low level of threat. When Sri Lanka gained independence, the Sinhalese took power and quickly made sure to prevent the Tamils from having any chance at overcoming that power. The author argues that the Sinhalese had the mindset of a minority even though they were the majority in their own land. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was the main representative group of the Tamils. This group was much smaller than the Sri Lankan Army and resorted to guerrilla warfare to gain an upperhand on its enemy. The group was soon viewed as a terrorist organization and needed to fight that image in order to gain respect and monetary support. Getting rid of this image also became important when peace talks and negotiations began to be considered. A cease-fire was established through the help of Norwegian interveners. Talks between the two groups continued in an effort to resolve the conflict and find a way for the groups to live peacefully together. Religious groups aided in this process by speaking out and praying together.
I found this case study very interesting because I didn't know anything about the conflict in Sri Lanka. It is upsetting to see how British colonial policies are still affecting the world so dramatically. I think this article is important when considering ethnic conflict because it shows how much depends on groups perceiving and believing that they are different rather than just being ethnically different. I also really liked the idea presented of judging history from its own perspective. People tend to look at history and judge actions that groups made based on the present situation. In this way, they can gather support against a group by showing all of the "bad" things that it has done. Lastly, I was really impressed by the efforts of religious groups to come together and try to inspire unity in the people. That is something that doesn't seem to be very common today. Religious leaders tend to have more power than any other kind of leaders when it comes to moral action; therefore it seems as though they could be more likely to incite social change than political authorities.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
February 19: More Context
Conflict:Chapter 11 "Institutions"
This chapter focuses on the legitimacy of authority, what it is, what it's founded upon, and what it means in terms of conflict resolution. The author talks about a balance between force and consent and an inverse relationship between them. In all societies, he argues, each one is present in at least some way. When consent is high enough, the authority is considered legitimate. In this kind of society, there is generally a basic agreement about what norms should be followed, also known as a normative consensus. The author makes a distinction between disputes which arise in a consensual relationship and conflicts which arise in dissensual relationships. Conflict resolution, for the latter, involves rebuilding and recreating a normative consensus. The author then delves into distinctions in conflict resolution methods based on whether or not conflicts are consensual or dissensual. The chapter then shifts to focus on Weber's ideas of the three types of authority: traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal. The author argues that maybe there needs to be a fourth type of authority, one involving the practices of conflict resolution.
I decided to focus on this chapter because, looking at the end of it, I didn't recognize as many of the terms as the other two chapters. I really liked the introduction to the chapter because it was packed full of information and ideas. I thought the idea of a balance between consent and force was a good way to look at authority in a system. I liked that this idea could be applied to determining how conflicts are generally dealt with in different societies. It just shows how deep one must look in order to really be able to analyze and intervene in a dispute or conflict efficiently and effectively. I also found it interesting that the distinctions that the author made regarding consensus, dissensus, force, consent, etc. could be applied to smaller groups as well as large societies.
This chapter focuses on the legitimacy of authority, what it is, what it's founded upon, and what it means in terms of conflict resolution. The author talks about a balance between force and consent and an inverse relationship between them. In all societies, he argues, each one is present in at least some way. When consent is high enough, the authority is considered legitimate. In this kind of society, there is generally a basic agreement about what norms should be followed, also known as a normative consensus. The author makes a distinction between disputes which arise in a consensual relationship and conflicts which arise in dissensual relationships. Conflict resolution, for the latter, involves rebuilding and recreating a normative consensus. The author then delves into distinctions in conflict resolution methods based on whether or not conflicts are consensual or dissensual. The chapter then shifts to focus on Weber's ideas of the three types of authority: traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal. The author argues that maybe there needs to be a fourth type of authority, one involving the practices of conflict resolution.
I decided to focus on this chapter because, looking at the end of it, I didn't recognize as many of the terms as the other two chapters. I really liked the introduction to the chapter because it was packed full of information and ideas. I thought the idea of a balance between consent and force was a good way to look at authority in a system. I liked that this idea could be applied to determining how conflicts are generally dealt with in different societies. It just shows how deep one must look in order to really be able to analyze and intervene in a dispute or conflict efficiently and effectively. I also found it interesting that the distinctions that the author made regarding consensus, dissensus, force, consent, etc. could be applied to smaller groups as well as large societies.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
February 17: Influences
Conflict. Ch 8. "Situations"
This chapter talks about the influence of situations on how people behave. The author makes his argument for the importance of the situation on behavior by creating a continuum of where theorists have placed causes for behavior. On one end is personality and on the other is social structure. The situational viewpoint falls in the middle of the two. The author brings up the idea that interveners and third-parties could use the power of situations to their advantage. For example, they could manipulate where the parties are sitting.
I thought this chapter was important because it gave a lot of data to support the idea that situations are a large influence on how people act. I really liked the point that the author brought up about how this knowledge could help researchers to figure out how different environments affect conflict resolution. At the same time, I think it would be hard to conduct an experiment like this with a real conflict because it seems like it could be unethical or at least risky for the parties to the conflict.
Conflict. Ch 9. "Identities"
This chapter addressed the concept of identity and the many ways that people view themselves. Some topics that were brought up were ethnicity, race, gender, and religion. The author talked about the importance of taking into account the culture and identity of the parties to conflict as an intervener. The author also introduced the idea of conflict and identity as a cycle that sustains and sometimes strengthens itself.
For me, this chapter was much easier to read than the previous chapter in Conflict. I also really enjoyed this chapter because it brought up a lot of good points about how society has created categories for people such as race and gender and many people believe these to be real and natural. It is frustrating how many people do not know this and use race interchangeably with ethnicity and gender interchangeably with sex.
Boston Globe Article
This was a short article that talked about the efforts of pro-life and pro-choice leaders to come together to stop the violence and hatred between their two groups as a response to shootings at institutions where abortion was performed. These two groups started meeting privately and slowly developed relationships with each other. Although the two groups said they supported their sides even more strongly now, they also said that they respected the individuals on the other side.
I really liked this article because it emphasized the idea that people don't have to agree with each other to live together peacefully. This article really showed the importance of dehumanization in conflict. Once the leaders of the two sides started to know each other on a personal level, their comments about the other side were not as much attacks as wishes for change. I also really liked that the article mentioned some procedural pieces such as deciding which words shouldn't be used at the table. Overall, I think this article gives a lot of hope for interveners to draw from.
This chapter talks about the influence of situations on how people behave. The author makes his argument for the importance of the situation on behavior by creating a continuum of where theorists have placed causes for behavior. On one end is personality and on the other is social structure. The situational viewpoint falls in the middle of the two. The author brings up the idea that interveners and third-parties could use the power of situations to their advantage. For example, they could manipulate where the parties are sitting.
I thought this chapter was important because it gave a lot of data to support the idea that situations are a large influence on how people act. I really liked the point that the author brought up about how this knowledge could help researchers to figure out how different environments affect conflict resolution. At the same time, I think it would be hard to conduct an experiment like this with a real conflict because it seems like it could be unethical or at least risky for the parties to the conflict.
Conflict. Ch 9. "Identities"
This chapter addressed the concept of identity and the many ways that people view themselves. Some topics that were brought up were ethnicity, race, gender, and religion. The author talked about the importance of taking into account the culture and identity of the parties to conflict as an intervener. The author also introduced the idea of conflict and identity as a cycle that sustains and sometimes strengthens itself.
For me, this chapter was much easier to read than the previous chapter in Conflict. I also really enjoyed this chapter because it brought up a lot of good points about how society has created categories for people such as race and gender and many people believe these to be real and natural. It is frustrating how many people do not know this and use race interchangeably with ethnicity and gender interchangeably with sex.
Boston Globe Article
This was a short article that talked about the efforts of pro-life and pro-choice leaders to come together to stop the violence and hatred between their two groups as a response to shootings at institutions where abortion was performed. These two groups started meeting privately and slowly developed relationships with each other. Although the two groups said they supported their sides even more strongly now, they also said that they respected the individuals on the other side.
I really liked this article because it emphasized the idea that people don't have to agree with each other to live together peacefully. This article really showed the importance of dehumanization in conflict. Once the leaders of the two sides started to know each other on a personal level, their comments about the other side were not as much attacks as wishes for change. I also really liked that the article mentioned some procedural pieces such as deciding which words shouldn't be used at the table. Overall, I think this article gives a lot of hope for interveners to draw from.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
February 12: More Analysis
Conflict: Ch. 4 "Sources"
This chapter dealt with the problem of identifying sources to conflict. It differentiated destructive conflict from general conflict in an effort to support the idea that the former is not inevitable. The author also explained two different views of the sources of conflict - social and personal - that have been used by many theorists to try to explain why conflicts occur. This chapter also dealt with the ideas of modernization and globalization and their possible effects on the occurrence of conflict, and more specifically destructive conflict. The author tries to relate the difficulty found in trying to determine the sources of conflict and then trying to change the structure of a society if those sources are found.
This chapter reminded me a lot of my Intro to PACS and Intro to Conflict Resolution classes because it talked about a lot of fundamental theoretical issues. I think this chapter is very important at this time because it talks about the problem of religious fundamentalism, which in the US is seen as an ever-growing threat (both from the Islamic world and evangelical Christians). At first, I thought the analysis of the Cain and Able story was ridiculous because of how deep it seemed to go, but I think the point the author was trying to get at with the story was important. For me, the author was saying that there are many different levels of analysis (Did the conflict come from Cain's jealous nature or the situation he was in?) and there are also different levels of resolution and prevention (Did the fault lie in his lack of recognition or his inability to control his jealousy?).
Conflict: Ch. 5 "Dynamics"
This chapter addresses the idea that conflict is always in a dynamic state. With so many variables that affect the course of a conflict, it is impossible for it to remain static. The author supports this idea with models and theories proposed by several different researchers in conflict and social theory. This chapter ties in many sociological concepts such as Cooley's "looking-glass self" and psychological concepts such as "schema".
While much of this chapter was review of both Intro to Conflict Resolution and Intro to Sociology, one term I had not heard of before was schema (large networks of related information). This concept is helpful in understanding conflict dynamics, especially in terms of enemy images. I liked that this chapter implicitly conveyed the importance of approaching conflict resolution from an interdisciplinary standpoint. In regards to the Rainbow Park case study, I thought this chapter was very applicable for analysis. The author addresses the importance of delving deeper into the conflict, beyond the basic issues, if the goal is de-escalation.
This chapter dealt with the problem of identifying sources to conflict. It differentiated destructive conflict from general conflict in an effort to support the idea that the former is not inevitable. The author also explained two different views of the sources of conflict - social and personal - that have been used by many theorists to try to explain why conflicts occur. This chapter also dealt with the ideas of modernization and globalization and their possible effects on the occurrence of conflict, and more specifically destructive conflict. The author tries to relate the difficulty found in trying to determine the sources of conflict and then trying to change the structure of a society if those sources are found.
This chapter reminded me a lot of my Intro to PACS and Intro to Conflict Resolution classes because it talked about a lot of fundamental theoretical issues. I think this chapter is very important at this time because it talks about the problem of religious fundamentalism, which in the US is seen as an ever-growing threat (both from the Islamic world and evangelical Christians). At first, I thought the analysis of the Cain and Able story was ridiculous because of how deep it seemed to go, but I think the point the author was trying to get at with the story was important. For me, the author was saying that there are many different levels of analysis (Did the conflict come from Cain's jealous nature or the situation he was in?) and there are also different levels of resolution and prevention (Did the fault lie in his lack of recognition or his inability to control his jealousy?).
Conflict: Ch. 5 "Dynamics"
This chapter addresses the idea that conflict is always in a dynamic state. With so many variables that affect the course of a conflict, it is impossible for it to remain static. The author supports this idea with models and theories proposed by several different researchers in conflict and social theory. This chapter ties in many sociological concepts such as Cooley's "looking-glass self" and psychological concepts such as "schema".
While much of this chapter was review of both Intro to Conflict Resolution and Intro to Sociology, one term I had not heard of before was schema (large networks of related information). This concept is helpful in understanding conflict dynamics, especially in terms of enemy images. I liked that this chapter implicitly conveyed the importance of approaching conflict resolution from an interdisciplinary standpoint. In regards to the Rainbow Park case study, I thought this chapter was very applicable for analysis. The author addresses the importance of delving deeper into the conflict, beyond the basic issues, if the goal is de-escalation.
Monday, February 9, 2009
February 10: Getting to the Table
Carpenter and Kennedy Ch. 5 "Designing a Strategy..."
This chapter addressed "designing a strategy and setting up the conflict management program". In the chapter, Carpenter and Kennedy talk about ways of designing the best strategy for managing a conflict and then go into detail about how to set up a program to actually start the management process. Designing the strategy involves analyzing the conflict, creating a goal for management, deciding on the best type of meeting structure, determining parties and participants, and considering issues that surround the process. Setting up the program can be extremely time consuming and requires a lot of preparation. There are many details that must be considered, such as the role of the media, funding, and paperwork. The authors argue that the first meeting is vital for the entire process because it is when parties may decide whether or not they are willing to invest any more time in the program.
I found this chapter interesting, though in some areas almost too detail-laden. It was hard for me to understand the main concepts when the authors were talking about exactly what needs to be done with paperwork and press releases. Although I thought all of the information was important, I thought it might be easier if the authors separated the details out from the basic groundwork. At the same time, this approach did make me think about how much is involved in conflict management and really how complicated the process can be. I thought it was interesting to compare this chapter to the one by Moore because, as pointed out by Reimann, terminology and concepts in the field of conflict resolution are so easy to mix up. Although Moore and Carpenter and Kennedy use many of the same concepts, Moore is addressing mediation as the main subject and Carpenter and Kennedy address mediation as almost a rarity.
Moore. Defining Issues and Setting an Agenda (2003). The Mediation Process. Ch 9. pg 232-251
In this chapter, Moore talks about how to define the issues that are involved in a conflict and how to set up an agenda for mediating a conflict. He contrasts between consensual and dissensual conflicts which are interest and value-related respectively. The author talks about how to reframe issues in order to try to find the best solution for both parties. This involves taking out negative or biased language and also trying to find ways in which different parties' viewpoints may coincide. Moore gives eight different types of agendas one can follow in the mediation process: (1) ad hoc, (2) simple agenda, (3) alternation of issues, (4) ranking by importance, (5) principled agenda, (6) “easier items first,” (7) building-block or contingent agenda, and (8) trade—offs or packaging. He finishes by talking about the importance of mediators trying to understand and apply the cultural norms of the parties involved in conflict if they want to be successful in developing the best framing of issues and planning of agenda for the specific situation.
I think this article provides a lot of useful information for beginning the mediation process. Setting up an agenda seems like a daunting task because there are so many variables to take into consideration. I like the eight different types of agendas Moore presents because they seem like good basic frameworks for situational agenda development. I also thought that the examples provided by Moore about immersing oneself in the culture of the parties involved in the conflict very helpful. The example about psychologists wanting to talk about their feelings made me realize that different cultures can be found in subsets across the general population and that this fact is extremely important to keep in mind.
This chapter addressed "designing a strategy and setting up the conflict management program". In the chapter, Carpenter and Kennedy talk about ways of designing the best strategy for managing a conflict and then go into detail about how to set up a program to actually start the management process. Designing the strategy involves analyzing the conflict, creating a goal for management, deciding on the best type of meeting structure, determining parties and participants, and considering issues that surround the process. Setting up the program can be extremely time consuming and requires a lot of preparation. There are many details that must be considered, such as the role of the media, funding, and paperwork. The authors argue that the first meeting is vital for the entire process because it is when parties may decide whether or not they are willing to invest any more time in the program.
I found this chapter interesting, though in some areas almost too detail-laden. It was hard for me to understand the main concepts when the authors were talking about exactly what needs to be done with paperwork and press releases. Although I thought all of the information was important, I thought it might be easier if the authors separated the details out from the basic groundwork. At the same time, this approach did make me think about how much is involved in conflict management and really how complicated the process can be. I thought it was interesting to compare this chapter to the one by Moore because, as pointed out by Reimann, terminology and concepts in the field of conflict resolution are so easy to mix up. Although Moore and Carpenter and Kennedy use many of the same concepts, Moore is addressing mediation as the main subject and Carpenter and Kennedy address mediation as almost a rarity.
Moore. Defining Issues and Setting an Agenda (2003). The Mediation Process. Ch 9. pg 232-251
In this chapter, Moore talks about how to define the issues that are involved in a conflict and how to set up an agenda for mediating a conflict. He contrasts between consensual and dissensual conflicts which are interest and value-related respectively. The author talks about how to reframe issues in order to try to find the best solution for both parties. This involves taking out negative or biased language and also trying to find ways in which different parties' viewpoints may coincide. Moore gives eight different types of agendas one can follow in the mediation process: (1) ad hoc, (2) simple agenda, (3) alternation of issues, (4) ranking by importance, (5) principled agenda, (6) “easier items first,” (7) building-block or contingent agenda, and (8) trade—offs or packaging. He finishes by talking about the importance of mediators trying to understand and apply the cultural norms of the parties involved in conflict if they want to be successful in developing the best framing of issues and planning of agenda for the specific situation.
I think this article provides a lot of useful information for beginning the mediation process. Setting up an agenda seems like a daunting task because there are so many variables to take into consideration. I like the eight different types of agendas Moore presents because they seem like good basic frameworks for situational agenda development. I also thought that the examples provided by Moore about immersing oneself in the culture of the parties involved in the conflict very helpful. The example about psychologists wanting to talk about their feelings made me realize that different cultures can be found in subsets across the general population and that this fact is extremely important to keep in mind.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
February 5: Linking Assessment and Design
Laue: "Getting to the Table: Creating the Forum"
In this article, Laue addresses the issue of "getting to the table". He talks about what must happen before negotiation can begin. Laue argues that a lot of people view the first step in the negotiation process as finding out what the problem is, when in reality there are several things that must happen before the process even gets to that point (identifying who the parties are, who will participate, where they will meet, how they will interact, etc.). Laue addresses several ways of getting parties to the table when they do not willingly go themselves.
I found this article very informative. Whenever I read a case study, my first inclination is to start with the question, "what is the problem in this conflict?" I always want to jump right into the process. However, Laue says that there are pre-negotiation steps that must be taken. Even when just doing analysis, I think it's helpful to follow this order. If you try to identify the problem without knowing who the parties are or what values they hold, it's going to be hard to find what's really causing the conflict.
Zartman: The Timing of Peace Initiatives (Darby and Mac Ginty. 2008. Contemporary Peacemaking. 2nd ed. Pg. 22-35)
In this article, Zartman discusses the importance of timing in intervention. He begins by saying that a lot of attention in conflict resolution is placed on the substance of conflicts, but for peace initiatives it is also vital to consider timing and ripeness. He talks about the idea of a "Mutually Hurting Stalemate" as a moment when conflict is ripe for negotiation because parties want to find a "Way Out". Zartman argues that conflict is ripe for negotiation when parties perceive an MHS and a WO. Whether they are objectively present doesn't matter. On the other hand, he says that ripeness does not ensure the success of negotiation, nor does a lack of ripeness ensure defeat.
I think this article brings up a very important point. I like that Zartman clarifies that MHS and WO are about perception. This allows for the idea that interveners might be able to "ripen" a conflict through education. It's also a little disheartening because parties may be stuck in a horrible stalemate, yet the fact that they don't realize it or want to admit it can hold them back from negotiation. I also have trouble with the idea that the best time to create a negotiation is when parties are at their lowest points. Couldn't this kind of negotiation make parties feel like they are just conceding rather than collaborating? Is it possible that parties in this kind of situation would regret or possible resent the negotiations in the future?
In this article, Laue addresses the issue of "getting to the table". He talks about what must happen before negotiation can begin. Laue argues that a lot of people view the first step in the negotiation process as finding out what the problem is, when in reality there are several things that must happen before the process even gets to that point (identifying who the parties are, who will participate, where they will meet, how they will interact, etc.). Laue addresses several ways of getting parties to the table when they do not willingly go themselves.
I found this article very informative. Whenever I read a case study, my first inclination is to start with the question, "what is the problem in this conflict?" I always want to jump right into the process. However, Laue says that there are pre-negotiation steps that must be taken. Even when just doing analysis, I think it's helpful to follow this order. If you try to identify the problem without knowing who the parties are or what values they hold, it's going to be hard to find what's really causing the conflict.
Zartman: The Timing of Peace Initiatives (Darby and Mac Ginty. 2008. Contemporary Peacemaking. 2nd ed. Pg. 22-35)
In this article, Zartman discusses the importance of timing in intervention. He begins by saying that a lot of attention in conflict resolution is placed on the substance of conflicts, but for peace initiatives it is also vital to consider timing and ripeness. He talks about the idea of a "Mutually Hurting Stalemate" as a moment when conflict is ripe for negotiation because parties want to find a "Way Out". Zartman argues that conflict is ripe for negotiation when parties perceive an MHS and a WO. Whether they are objectively present doesn't matter. On the other hand, he says that ripeness does not ensure the success of negotiation, nor does a lack of ripeness ensure defeat.
I think this article brings up a very important point. I like that Zartman clarifies that MHS and WO are about perception. This allows for the idea that interveners might be able to "ripen" a conflict through education. It's also a little disheartening because parties may be stuck in a horrible stalemate, yet the fact that they don't realize it or want to admit it can hold them back from negotiation. I also have trouble with the idea that the best time to create a negotiation is when parties are at their lowest points. Couldn't this kind of negotiation make parties feel like they are just conceding rather than collaborating? Is it possible that parties in this kind of situation would regret or possible resent the negotiations in the future?
Monday, February 2, 2009
February 3: Conflict Analysis: Diagnosing Conflict
**Response to Lederach article missing because I couldn't find it on Moodle**
Carpenter and Kennedy: Chap. 4 "Analyzing the Conflict" + pgs. 67-69
In this chapter (and it's introduction), Carpenter and Kennedy layout a general plan for how one should go about analyzing a conflict in the realm of public disputes. It is a relatively detailed plan that contains information for how to enter the conflict for intervention purposes and how to gather the information necessary to develop a plan for action (or no action).
I thought this chapter was very helpful for gaining an understanding of the basic framework of "managing public disputes". It seems as though many writers give a basic idea of what intervention involves but there are fewer articles that give a step by step process. I like the guides that Carpenter and Kennedy give for gathering and analyzing information. The guides seem like they would be extremely useful in the type of situations the book deals with. I also noticed that they talk about using active listening (although they don't mention that exact term) to help get a clear idea of what the problem is.
Assessment Guide on Moodle
The assessment guide gives an outline of what should be considered when analyzing a conflict. It gives several groups of questions to explore in each situation under 6 main headings: (1) Parties, (2) Substance, (3) Subjective Dynamics in Conflict, (4) Relationships, (5) Background and Context, and (6) Strategic Issues/Resolution Potential. Overall, these are the main things that need to be considered when analyzing what is happening in a conflict and determining what steps should or should not be taken.
This assessment guide is similar to what is given in chapter 4 of Carpenter and Kennedy except more detailed. I like that it lays out the basic issues that need to be investigated while giving examples of what kinds of questions pertain to each issue.
Furlong, 2005. The Conflict Resolution Toolbox. Chap. 2.
This chapter gives 8 different models for analyzing conflict. The eight models are: (1) The Circle of Conflict, (2) The Triangle of Satisfaction, (3) The Boundary, (4) The Interest/Rights/Power, (5) The Dynamics of Trust, (6) The Dimensions, (7) The Social Style, and (8) The Moving Beyond models. While they all have similar goals, they analyze different aspects of the conflict and approach it from different viewpoints. No model is intrinsically better than another, however one may apply to a certain situation better than another does.
I liked this chapter because I am a very visual learner. The introduction of these 8 models in so short a chapter was slightly overwhelming, but I think it was a good way to see the differences between them. In a way, I think the presence of all of these models in just one chapter reflects the basic idea of conflict as a very complex thing. Although all of the models were interesting and seem useful, I really liked the Dynamics of Trust model because it offered a viewpoint that I hadn't really thought of before. The idea of blame being on a continuum with trust indirectly correlated seems logical and trying to plot a conflict on this model might help to see if there are issues with attribution error or distrust.
Carpenter and Kennedy: Chap. 4 "Analyzing the Conflict" + pgs. 67-69
In this chapter (and it's introduction), Carpenter and Kennedy layout a general plan for how one should go about analyzing a conflict in the realm of public disputes. It is a relatively detailed plan that contains information for how to enter the conflict for intervention purposes and how to gather the information necessary to develop a plan for action (or no action).
I thought this chapter was very helpful for gaining an understanding of the basic framework of "managing public disputes". It seems as though many writers give a basic idea of what intervention involves but there are fewer articles that give a step by step process. I like the guides that Carpenter and Kennedy give for gathering and analyzing information. The guides seem like they would be extremely useful in the type of situations the book deals with. I also noticed that they talk about using active listening (although they don't mention that exact term) to help get a clear idea of what the problem is.
Assessment Guide on Moodle
The assessment guide gives an outline of what should be considered when analyzing a conflict. It gives several groups of questions to explore in each situation under 6 main headings: (1) Parties, (2) Substance, (3) Subjective Dynamics in Conflict, (4) Relationships, (5) Background and Context, and (6) Strategic Issues/Resolution Potential. Overall, these are the main things that need to be considered when analyzing what is happening in a conflict and determining what steps should or should not be taken.
This assessment guide is similar to what is given in chapter 4 of Carpenter and Kennedy except more detailed. I like that it lays out the basic issues that need to be investigated while giving examples of what kinds of questions pertain to each issue.
Furlong, 2005. The Conflict Resolution Toolbox. Chap. 2.
This chapter gives 8 different models for analyzing conflict. The eight models are: (1) The Circle of Conflict, (2) The Triangle of Satisfaction, (3) The Boundary, (4) The Interest/Rights/Power, (5) The Dynamics of Trust, (6) The Dimensions, (7) The Social Style, and (8) The Moving Beyond models. While they all have similar goals, they analyze different aspects of the conflict and approach it from different viewpoints. No model is intrinsically better than another, however one may apply to a certain situation better than another does.
I liked this chapter because I am a very visual learner. The introduction of these 8 models in so short a chapter was slightly overwhelming, but I think it was a good way to see the differences between them. In a way, I think the presence of all of these models in just one chapter reflects the basic idea of conflict as a very complex thing. Although all of the models were interesting and seem useful, I really liked the Dynamics of Trust model because it offered a viewpoint that I hadn't really thought of before. The idea of blame being on a continuum with trust indirectly correlated seems logical and trying to plot a conflict on this model might help to see if there are issues with attribution error or distrust.
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