Lecture: 2 hours/week
Seminar: 2 hours/week
or
Hybrid: 2 hours/week in class
2 hours/week online (synchronous)
or
Fully online (synchronous)
This course is suitable for condensed delivery format.
This course is interactive. Students work in groups through exercises and case studies to practice basic interpersonal communication and conflict management skills. Students also work individually with feedback from the instructor by keeping a reflective journal.
- What is interpersonal conflict?
- definitions and terms
- sources of interpersonal conflict
- assumptions about the nature of interpersonal conflict
- factors influencing the development of interpersonal conflict
- personaland identity-based
- environment
- cultural
- technological
- Some benefits of enhancing interpersonal conflict management skills
- physical-emotional
- relational
- intellectual
- Conflict studies
- theory
- intrapersonal and relational theories of conflict
- models for dealing effectively with conflict
- roles of perception, attitudes, and emotion
- approaches to interpersonal conflict management
- collaborative and assertive
- adversarial
- passive and aggressive behaviour
- avoidance
- compromise
- interest-based problem solving, power dynamics in conflict settings
- theory
- How do I, as an individual, approach conflict?
- self-awareness
- critical self-evaluation
- working with others' conflict styles
- working with others collaboratively in critical self-reflection
- reframing conflict from fear-focused to interest-focused by working by acknowledging and working with emotions
- Foundational communication skills for interpersonal conflict
- self-regulating skills: notice what is happening in the moment, contextualize in the framework of ideas and theories, build on foundational skills, apply and reinforce in future interactions.
- intrapersonal and self-regulating skills
- attending, observing, and listening
- paraphrasing, summarizing, and empathic responding
- asking facilitative questions
- clarifying statements for mutual understanding
By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to:
Knowledge:
- explain the nature of interpersonal conflict.
- identify common sources of interpersonal conflict.
- describe some common approaches to interpersonal conflict.
- articulate goals of various responses, approaches, and strategies employed to manage interpersonal conflict.
Skills:
- apply course concepts to real and hypothetical interpersonal conflicts in their lives at work, school, home, and/or community.
- demonstrate foundational skills for communicating effectively in interpersonal conflict.
- select an interpersonal conflict strategy that is appropriate in a given context.
- articulate a personal mission statement related to interpersonal conflict management.
Attitudes:
- assess the effects of their perspective-taking and values when working with interpersonal conflict.
- articulate the benefits of interpersonal conflict management skills.
- articulate course concepts that they can use to deal with defensiveness and resistance of self and others as a fundamental. ingredient in interpersonal conflict management.
Assessment will be in accordance with Douglas College's Evaluation Policy. Student work will be assessed using a variety of methods, such as those listed below.
|
Interpersonal conflict studies (reflective journals, focused on the course learning objectives) |
30% |
| Group-based conflict management skills demonstration project | 30% |
| Case study report: application of course concepts, drawing on assigned readings | 20% |
| Attendance, participation, and respectful conduct | 20% |
| 100% |
A list of required and optional readings and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.