COM. 460: Sections 1, 2

 

COMMUNICATION

                                                                                    AND

                                                          CONFLICT INTERVENTION

 

                                                              SPRING SEMESTER 2003

 

                                                         Professor Agnes G. Doody, Ph.D.

 

Professor Doody, Ph.D.             Office: - Rm. 102 Ind. Hall

 

Office Hours:                                        TR 10:45 ­ 11:45 a.m.; Friday, 9-12 a.m. and by app't.

Phone: office:  874-4727              home: 789-6259 (Please do not call after 10:00 p.m.)

Fax:        office:  874-4722              home: 789-1581

e-mail:   TALKDOC@uri.edu

 

Happiness is not the avoidance of absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.

 

Com. 460: Communication and Conflict Intervention. Conflict is part of our daily lives. How well we handle that conflict will determine, to a great degree, our success or failure in our interactions with others in interpersonal relationships, in the workplace or wherever we happen to interact with members of the human race. The goal of this course will be to study the theory of interpersonal conflict, the theory of win-win negotiations and the theory of mediation. Theory will be applied through simulated exercises, observations and in journal entries.

 

Required texts:

                  Fisher and Ury.                  Getting to Yes (GTY), 2nd edition

             Hocker and Wilmot.      Interpersonal Conflict (IC), 6th edition

 

Course Requirements:

 

1.           Class attendance: Your attendance is required as much of the learning that will take place in Com. 460

                  will take place through class discussion and simulated exercises. Therefore you will NEED to be in

                  class. Should any student have more than two (2) non-university sanctioned absences, she/he will

                  have her/his final grade dropped by one letter grade.  For each two additional absences the final

                  grade will be dropped another letter grade. L Suggestion: Get yourself to class, even if you "don't

                  feel like it."  J

 

2.           Format for written assignments: All class assignments are to be computer generated; all papers

                                     submitted for assignments must have a cover sheet; no late assignments will be accepted.

 

3.           All papers will be evaluated for both content and style. No paper will receive a grade until it is error free.

                  Thus, it is highly likely that some of you will find yourselves having to do rewrites. If a paper has to

                  be resubmitted for corrections more than once it will be impossible for you to receive the letter

                  grade of A on that paper. Write correctly, concisely and effectively! Make all the corrections on

                  the original paper; do not re-write the entire assignment. Save all copies of all assignments; save

                  everything on your computer disk. Unfortunately, upon occasion either you or I will misplace or

                  lose an assignment.  The back-ups on your floppy are your "insurance" against such a potential loss.

                  On the required cover sheet include your name, the date, course and section number and the

                  specific assignment being handed in. In those cases where a student¹s writing is substandard,

                  he/she will be required to seek assistance at the Writing Center, Rm. 313 Ind. Hall.

 

                  4. The journal: Each of you will be required to keep a journal, recording your observations and

                                    experiences, re: conflict, negotiation and mediation. These observations may come from personal experience, observations made of a conflict in progress, resolution (or lack of it) of that conflict, from watching a movie or a television program. You may want to write in detail about an on-going conflict (interpersonal) in which you're currently involved. The purpose of the journal is to assist you in developing analytical skills, re: the anatomy of a conflict and possible solutions to it. Compose your journal in the privacy of your own home. Each journal entry (j.e.) will be treated as a confidential document between you, the student, and me, the reader. Please keep journal entries in a folder and when journal entries are due, hand in only those journal entries due and any j.e. that needed to be corrected. All journal entries will be returned. Each journal entry is to be at least three pages in length. (See pages 5- 6 of the syllabus for greater detail, re: journal entries.) You are to hand in one journal entry every Thursday for the entire semester.

 

                  5.Grading policy:

 

                                    written papers and quizzes = 20%

                                    journal entries = 40%

                                    quizzes and executive summaries (based on IC text) = 25%

                                    class participation = 15%

 

                  6. The syllabus: Please treat the syllabus as a written document providing guidelines for the development

                                     of the course.  As part of the course is devoted to developing skills to better enable each student to

                                    handle conflict, I may find it advisable to spend more time on certain simulation exercises and

                                    therefore I will have to adjust the assignments as outlined on the syllabus. Thus, realize, for

                                    purposes of learning, the syllabus may have to be adjusted; it is not to be treated as a document

                                    "etched in stone." :-)

 

                  7. Plagiarism: Unfortunately, there appears to be an increase of plagiarism on college campuses nationwide.

                                    The faculty of the Communication Studies department has spent a great deal of time ­ and anguish ­

                                    discussing this phenomenon here at URI. Consequently, we will all be on the alert for plagiarized

assignments. Should any be discovered, that student or those students will be subject to the URI policy on plagiarism. (See University Manual for details.)  Simply put: do your own work and exercise your own code of ethics. I trust you to do that.

 

 

 

CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS

 

21/1        Introduction: Communication and Conflict Intervention

 

                                    For 23/1- Read GTY, Chap. I and II

 

23/1        Discussion: Theory of GTY, Chap. I and II

 

                                    For 28/1 - Read GTY, Chap. III, IV; Hand in a 3-5 pp. book review of the entire text: GTY.

 

28/1        Discussion: GTY, Chap III and IV.

 

                                    For 30/1 - Read IC, Chap. 1

 

30/1        Discussion: Perspectives on Conflict; hand in 1st journal entry

 

                                    For 4/2 - read IC, chap. 2; and prepare for a quiz on that chapter

 

4/2           Discussion and Quiz: The Nature of Conflict

 

                                    For 6/2 - Read IC, chap. 3; hand in a two-three page executive summary of that chapter.

 

6/2           Discussion:  Interests and Goals; hand in 2nd journal entry

 

                                    For 11/2-  in-class exercise: Derek and Donna

 

11/2        In-class exercise: Derek and Donna

                                                                       

                                    For 13/2 - read IC, chap 7; prepare for a quiz on that chapter.

 

13/2        Discussion and Quiz: Negotiating for Mutual Gains; hand in 3rd journal entry

 

                                    For 20/2 - Read IC, chap. 4; be prepared to share with the class three examples of "power"

                                                      you have observed recently. Write up those observations and hand them in on 20/2.

 

20,22/2 Discussion: IC: Power: The Structure of Conflict; hand in 4th journal entry on 20/2

 

                                    For  25/2­ in-class exercise: Sunnyside

 

25/2        In-class exercise: Sunnyside

 

                                    For 27/2 - in-class exercise: Joe and Josephine

 

27/2                          In-class exercise: Joe and Josephine; hand in 5th journal entry

 

                                    For 4/3 ­ Read IC, chap. 5; prepare for a quiz on Chap. 5.

 

4,6/3       Discussion and Quiz: IC Chapter 5; hand in 6th journal entry

 

                                    For 18/3 ­ In-class exercise: Gentle Care

 

 

SPRING BREAK: ENJOY!!!

 

                                     

 

 

18/3        In-class exercise: Gentle Care

 

                                    For 20/3 ­In-class exercise: Coming Out; hand in P.I.E. letter

 

20/3        In-class exercise: Coming Out. Be prepared to identify styles and tactics you used in this exercise

                                    and, on, hand in a written description/analysis of those styles and tactics used in the

                                    negotiation. For 25/3 ­ Read chap. 6; study Hocker-Wilmot Conflict Assessment Guide (CAG),

                                    p.179+. Hand in your own CAG on 1 April. This is no joke. J. Warning: This is a time-consuming assignment; do not let it go until the last minute. Hand in 7th journal entry.

 

25/3        Discussion: Assessing Conflict

 

                                    For 27/3 - in-class exercise; Expectant Executive

 

27/3        In-class exercise: Expectant Executives; hand in 8th journal entry

                 

                                    For 1 April- Read chap. 7, IC; hand in your CAG

 

1/4           Discussion: chap. 7, IC

 

                                    For 3/4­ Read chap. 8, IC

 

3/4           Discussion: Moderating Your Conflicts; hand in 8th journal entry

 

                                    For 8/4­ Read chap. 9, IC

 

8/4           Discussion: Third Party Intervention

 

                                    For 10,15,17/4 ­ in-class exercises in mediation. Everyone¹s attendance is mandatory for these three exercises. Students who fail to take part in mediation exercises will earn the letter grade of F for these in-class mediation exercises unless that student has a university-sanctioned excuse.  Hand in 9th journal entry on 10/4

 

10,15,17/4           In-class mediation exercises; on 17/4 hand in 10th journal entry.

 

22,24/4                  In-class multi-party exercise; on 24/4 hand in 11th journal entry.

 

29/4, 1/5                In-class exercise: multiparty negotiation; on 1/5 hand in the 12th and last J journal entry.

 

6/5           Summary: Communication and Conflict Resolution

 

Format for written assignments

 

1. Make sure each and every assignment you hand in has a cover sheet, which includes:

 

                  a. Your name, b. Course title and section number, c. Date, d. Specific assignment

 

2. When you correct and return (C/R) your assignments, write "revision" on the cover sheet.

 

3. DO NOT hand in a new copy of the assignment; make all your corrections on the original assignment (unless I have asked             you to re-write the assignment).

 

4. Here are some "symbols" that will help you understand the corrections:

 

                  a. A word circled and marked with a "P" means there is an error with that word, either it is used incorrectly or there is some kind of error with the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation.

 

                  b. "agr" means you have made an error in agreement with: subject/verb, subjects joined by "and," use of indefinite pronouns, collective nouns, titles.

 

                  c. [-] followed by frag means the brackets cluster of words is not a complete sentence.

 

                  d. [-] followed by mng means those words which have been bracketed are not clear in their meaning to me, the reader.

 

5. When doing an executive summary (ES) of a chapter, include the title of both the text and the chapter. Learn to cite correctly both book titles and chapter titles.

 

6. When in doubt ASK. You can locate us during our office hours, by phone, fax, e-mail.

 

7. If it is apparent that you have difficulty in your writing, please take advantage of  resources in the Writing Center, Room

                   313 Independence. Hall.

 

 

Class participation

 

Class participation is an important component in the learning process in Com. 460. You will be expected to share your thoughts with others in the class, to enter into the class discussions on the chapter contents, to share with the class some of your out-of-class experiences and observations about conflict and conflict resolution, or lack of, and to respond to questions asked by other classmates and the instructor. As most of you are communication majors, active class participation should be a ³natural² for you. At the end of the semester you will be asked to fill out an evaluation form on which you will evaluate yourself as a class participant and assign yourself a grade you feel you¹ve earned for class participation. (The grade you assign yourself may or may not be the grade you receive for class participation.) Assignments completed out of class are not to be included in your evaluation of your class participation.

 

 

 

 

ENJOY THE SEMESTER!!

 

 

 J