Psychology of Peace and ConflictPSYC 2850
Instructor: Dr. Linda M. WoolfOffice Hours:
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Readings:
- Selected readings provided on Canvas
Catalog Description:
Examines the key concepts, themes, theories, and practices involved in psychological study of peace and conflict. Explores these issues across a wide range of interpersonal, community, national, and international contexts. Includes multiple levels of analysis from micro to macro, and multidisciplinary perspectives. GCP Coding: (GLBL) (INTC).
Course Description:
Peace psychology is broad discipline as conflict and the need for peace occurs in all human arenas. Peace psychology research has been conducted in a variety of contexts examining such disparate concerns as domestic violence; school shootings; structural forms of violence (e.g., institutionalized forms of bias and the systematic violation of human rights); and mass violence, including ethnopolitical conflict, genocide, terrorism, and war. Peace psychologists have also worked to develop and assess programs aimed at teaching concepts and strategies of peace, effective conflict resolution skills, as well as reconciliation and reconstruction following conflict. Such programs have been implemented around the globe with such disparate populations as young school age children in the United States to survivors of the Rwandan genocide.Peace psychology is not a stand-alone discipline. Rather it draws on research from other disciplines outside of as well as within psychology, including but not limited to clinical psychology, social psychology, political psychology, media psychology, developmental psychology, political science, history, education, sociology, international relations, and peace studies.
This course examines the key concepts, themes, theories, and practices involved in peace psychology. You will be introduced to the issues of peace and conflict across a wide range of interpersonal, community, national and international contexts. We will focus on multiple levels of analysis from micro to macro, and multi-disciplinary perspectives.
For it isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it. -- Eleanor Roosevelt
Course Objectives:
- Objective: To become more knowledgeable concerning the core concepts and methods involved in peace psychology.
- Objectives: To become familiar with various forms of direct violence ranging from intimate violence to mass violence and war.
- Objective: To examine the concept of structural violence and its impact on individuals, groups, and communities.
- Objective: To become familiar with the importance of and the strategies involved in understanding the various aspects of conflict including partisan perceptions.
- Objective: To examine the nature of conflict resolution including the psychological dimensions associated with peacekeeping and peacemaking for all parties involved in a conflict.
- Objective: To examine the psychological aspects of peacebuilding as individuals, groups, and communities move from intervention to reconciliation and reconstruction.
- Objective: To examine the steps involved in thinking like an activist.
Course & GCP Global Understanding Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Articulate and define the core concepts and methods involved in peace psychology.
- Define and highlight the core issues related to forms of direct violence including violence between intimates and violence within and between groups (e.g., genocide, war).
- Discuss the role of structural violence in societies, its impact on groups such as women, children, minorities, and its relation to such topics as globalism and human rights.
- Analyze a conflict and articulate the problem from multiple cultural frames of reference.
- Articulate the concept of partisan perceptions and apply this concept to a conflict situation.
- Articulate the ideas and methods associated with various forms of conflict resolution.
- Discuss the psychological aspects of peacekeeping, peacemaking, and peacebuilding and the differences between the three approaches.
- Address the issues of forgiveness, reconciliation and reconstruction in situations post-conflict.
- Develop and implement an activism plan addressing some area of peace psychology.
Intercultural Competence Skill Learning Outcomes:
- Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify cultural biases and discuss how the student's experiences have been impacted and/or contributed to these biases
- Discuss how history, values, politics, communication styles, economy, beliefs, and practices shapes the worldview held by members of a particular culture.
- Describe the importance empathy and perspective-taking associated with seeing an intercultural experience from the perspectives of more than one world-view.
- Discuss the importance of cultural differences in verbal and nonverbal communication and the importance that an understanding of these differences plays in implementing any social change.
- Describe research strategies and practical approaches to develop a better understanding of how cultures communicate and detail how to ask questions appropriately in a non-biased fashion.
- Compare and contrast different approaches for initiating and developing interactions with those from a different culture.
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. --Martin Luther King, Jr.
Class Meetings:
The class will meet on Mondays from 5:30-9:30. Attendance is strongly recommended as material will be presented that is not in the book and class discussion will enhance your understanding of the material. Due to the importance of not only class attendance but also class participation, class participation constitutes a significant percentage of your final grade.
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. --Bishop Desmond Tutu
Course Requirements:
Two exams, Intercultural Project, Intercultural Project World Conference Simulation, Peacebuilding Project, and class participation/discussion.
Percent of Grade:
Examinations: The two exams are designed to test for basic understanding of core concepts and ideas. They will cover material presented in class, readings, and discussion. Each exam will be worth 20% of your final grade. Intercultural Project: You will be assigned a culture different than their own. You will research the assigned culture and develop a nation (i.e., cultural identity) handbook inclusive of historical timeline, background materials (e.g., social, political, religious, economic, environmental, language), current issues, which will be shared with the class. The Handbook will be evaluated on your ability to understand another cultures worldview, recognition of your own biases, understanding of the unique communication styles associated with the culture, and demonstration of curiosity about a culture that is not your own. Intercultural Project World Conference Simulation: You will participate in an intercultural world conference simulation. Students will be assessed on their ability to not only communicate about their assigned cultures but their openness and empathy towards other cultures presented during the conference. You will be assessed on participation and must also submit a brief reaction paper writing about their experience in learning about your assigned culture as well as other presentations from class.
Examinations 40% Intercultural Project 20% World Conference Simulation 10% Peacebuilding Project 20% Class Part./Disc. 10%
Peacebuilding Project: Individuals often believe that peacebuilding involves large-scale endeavors to bring peace to an entire region. This project is designed to highlight the reality that peace is often accomplished not by sweeping treaties but rather by the collective effect of numerous small-scale efforts over time. The goal is for you to design a small peacebuilding project or activity that could actually be implemented in relation to an intercultural conflict or conflict outside on mainstream U.S. cultures. You may choose to complete a peacebuilding project related to their intercultural project or select another topic. You will draft a proposal including key participants, proposed program, potential sources of funding, etc. This proposal should be addressed to a specific person-an individual who may not be the most recognizable within an organization or government but rather who would be best able to facilitate the project. You will be assessed on the quality of the literature review, appropriateness and feasibility of the project, your understanding of cultural factors impacting the success of the project, your ability to understand alternate points of view, and demonstration of realistic empathy as highlighted in the project design. Students also will present their project to the class for feedback.
"There is no greater fallacy than the belief that aims and purposes are one thing, while methods and tactics are another." ---Emma Goldman
Class Participation & Discussion: Please realize that your participation in this class is extremely important. As such, class participation will constitute 10 percent of your final grade. The class participation grade will derive from regular attendance and everyday discussion and analysis. Please be aware that skipping class (either excused or unexcused absences) will impact your grade in this area.
Policy Statements:
Use of Electronic Devices in the Classroom: Please respect others in the class by turning off all cell phones before entering the room. Text messaging during class is not acceptable. Laptops may be used in class but are only to be utilized for class related activities (e.g., taking notes). If it becomes apparent you are using the computer for non-class activities (e.g., checking your email, Facebook, playing games) then you may be asked to turn off your computer and refrain from bringing it into class in the future. Laptop use is restricted to the back or sides of the classroom so that other students are not distracted during lecture. Please be aware that according to research published in Psychological Science has demonstrated that taking hand-written notes leads to better processing of information and higher exam scores!Plagiarism (attempting to pass off the work of another as one's own) is not acceptable. Plagiarism includes copying all or part of another's writings (even a single sentence), inappropriate paraphrasing, using another student's paper as your own, submitting a paper for more than one class. All papers will be submitted to the university's plagiarism database for review. Plagiarism, either intentional or unintentional, will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment but also may be turned over to the appropriate university source for disciplinary action and a grade of F for the course. In addition, cheating on exams will also result in the same fate.
Here are some Web sites that will help you avoid the problem of plagiarism particularly plagiarism resulting from paraphrasing too closely to the original source. -
AI Use Restricted
All work submitted in this course must be your own. Contributions from non-academic sources (such as AI tools) are prohibited. Contributions from approved sources must be fully acknowledged and properly quoted or paraphrased by you every time they are used. Failure to follow this policy constitutes a violation of academic integrity and may result in disciplinary action.
Additional Policy Statements
It should be noted that, as is common in many university courses, little time will be spent lecturing on topics adequately addressed by the text. Students are expected to arrive at class meetings having already read the material assigned, and to ask questions to clarify any areas that remain unclear. While every attempt will be made to explain or expand upon particularly difficult areas, the primary purpose of classroom lecture is to enhance, rather than to duplicate, the textbook material.
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact me or the Director of the Academic Resource Center, as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion.
Late withdraws from this class will not be approved by the instructor except in cases of emergency discussed with the instructor. No late withdraws will be approved on the basis of poor class performance.
This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor's discretion. All changes concerning course requirements will be provided in writing. Changes concerning exam dates may be made at the instructor's discretion and communicated verbally to the class.
It is understood that remaining in this course (not dropping or withdrawing from this course) constitutes an agreement to abide by the terms outlined in this syllabus and an acceptance of the requirements outlined in this document.