Assignment 1
Paper 1: 150 Words
This short piece of writing entails responding to one question:
What is conflict?
It will assist you to stay focused and provide a good answer to begin with the the sentence: “Conflict is the…;” or, “Conflict is a…” And make the next word a noun. In this way you take a stand on what you think conflict is. Then you explain and back up what you have stated conflict is.
Remaining focused on topic is the largest challenge of Question I. How to resolve conflict, and what causes conflict are off topic.
Assessment Criteria:
1.Ability to focus writing on what conflict is
2. Depth and comprehensiveness of conflict understandings
3. Originality of viewpoint
4. Structure of presentation; e.g., logical progression, linking, flow
5. The density and clarity of writing
Paper 2: 1200 Words
****** Please don’t write an introduction or conclusion for any of the questions (padding). Nor should you provide an overview of the conflict. Leap right in to answering the question. The word-space is too small and the questions too big to use any words for background information. Simply answer the question with the limited number of words available
The entire assignment not an exercise in how to resolve a conflict or how to interact more effectively with the other party. This is an inquiry into your subjective response to conflict. Responding effectively to future conflicts is served by illuminating some areas of yourself and your experience in relation to a conflict. In order to do so we are employing a past experience of conflict, and we are deconstructing that experience.
Purpose of the Assignment
1. Understand interpersonal conflict and the roles that perception and identity play in its genesis
2. Identify factors that build up and perpetuate conflict and make use of these factors to deconstruct conflict
3. Appreciate how much each of us contributes to the conflict dynamics that we find ourselves in
4. Find empowerment in the knowledge that there are things we can do within ourselves to improve conflict outcomes for ourselves and for others.
Question I (400 words)
I a. What were the essential perceptions of the two parties (yours and the other person’s). How did you see them? How do you think they saw you? In stating the essential perceptions of each person, how they clash should be evident. Ideally, complete part I a) in two sentences.
You may feel compelled to provide me with background information. Resisting that temptation is part of the assignment.
II b.Difficult Conversations (DC) describes three challenges of perception and comprehension that human beings have in conflict. They are introduced in Chapter 1 and detailed consecutively in Chapters 2 to 4. Use the perspective from Chapter 2 to analyze and deconstruct the perceptions of the parties (yours and the other person’s). Since Part a) is ideally expressed in two sentences, Part b) should comprise by far the bulk of your answer to Question I.
Question II (400 words)
What were your intentions and actions, and what negative effects might they have had on the other party? What impacts did the other party’s actions have on you. What might have been his, her, or their intentions?
. The form of your answer to Question III should be repeated application of concepts from the chapter to your experience through which there is a balance between information from the text and details of your experience.
Question III (400 words)
The authors of Difficult Conversations suggest that the most important conversation in a conflict is the one we have with ourselves. What features of your identity were challenged by this conflict? By identity I mean how you understand yourself. Apply the concepts in of Difficult Conversations to how you understand and experience yourself. Also, how could you have stabilized and fortified your identity?
What does this conflict have to teach you about your relationship with yourself (not your relationship with the other person)? Also, how could you have fortified your identity?
Your answer to Question III should not focus how you could have interacted differently with the other person or how you can interact differently in the future. Of course, learnings are stimulated through interactions with the other party, but your answer is about how you understand and relate to yourself as you write your answer, and how you can understand and view yourself differently than is your habit.
