Understanding and Managing Interpersonal Conflict

Overview

Course description

The face-to-face course presents foundational knowledge and skills needed to understand and manage interpersonal conflict. Through focused interaction, students will consider selected theory, fundamental skills and basic attributes required to effectively analyze and engage interpersonal conflict in a variety of settings.

Course content

What is Interpersonal Conflict?
1. definitions and terminology
2. sources of interpersonal conflict
3. basic assumptions about the nature of interpersonal conflict
4. factors influencing the development of interpersonal conflict
  - personal style
  - communication climate
  - gender
  - cultural differences
  - technology
What are Some Benefits of Enhancing Interpersonal Conflict Management Skills?
1. physical benefits
2. emotional benefits
3. relational benefits
4. intellectual benefits
What is Some Fundamental Background Knowledge in Conflict Studies?
1. theoretical perspectives
  - intrapersonal and relational theories of conflict
  - models for dealing effectively with conflict
2. roles of perception, attitudes and emotion
3. approaches to interpersonal conflict management
  - avoidance
  - aggression
  - passive-aggressive behaviour
  - assertiveness
  - compromise
4. introduction to interest-based problem solving
5. introduction to power dynamics in conflict settings
How do I, as an Individual, Approach Conflict?
1. importance of self-awareness
2. importance of critical self-evaluation
3. role of similarities and differences in parties' conflict styles
What are Some Foundational Skills for Communicating in Interpersonal Conflict?
1. intrapersonal and self-regulating skills
2. the core conditions
3. attending, observing and listening
4. paraphrasing, summarizing and empathic responding
5. asking facilitative questions
6. language skills
  - using the language of responsibility
  - using collaborative language
7. perceptual-attitudinal skills
  - DIE model

Learning activities

This course is highly interactive. Working individually or in small groups, students will engage in the discourse, analysis and interpretation of basic interpersonal communication and conflict management skills. A discussion-based teaching model is used with the expectation that students will actively prepare for, participate in and extract meaning from case studies, simulations and role plays. Student activities may be videotaped for the purposes of informed self-evaluation.

Means of assessment

Student work will be assessed using a variety of methods such as those listed below.

Assessment, analysis and discussion of current interpersonal conflict management functioning	15%
Assessment and evaluation of improved conflict management functioning	20%
Group-based conflict management skills demonstration project	30%
Case study report : Application of course concepts	20%
Attendance, participation and professional conduct	15%
	100%

Learning outcomes

Knowledge:

By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to:

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:

By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to:

use basic theory, models and concepts to discuss the nature and effects of interpersonal conflict
demonstrate foundational skills for communicating effectively in interpersonal conflict
select an interpersonal conflict strategy that is appropriate to the context
apply interpersonal conflict management skills in a variety of settings
articulate a personal mission statement related to interpersonal conflict management.

Attitudes:

By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to:

assess the positive effects of interpersonal conflict
articulate the benefits of interpersonal conflict management skills
discern the impact of defensiveness in interpersonal conflict situations
reflect on the role of their interpersonal conflict style and its effects
appreciate the importance of incorporating the perspectives of others as a fundamental ingredient in interpersonal conflict management.

Textbook materials

A course textbook, in current edition, such as one of the following, will be selected. Wherever possible a Canadian edition will be chosen.

Cahn, D. and Abigail, R. Managing conflict through communication. New Jersey: Pearson.
Wilmot, W.W. and Hocker, J.L. Interpersonal conflict. NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Requisites

Prerequisites

CMNS 1216 or permission of instructor.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

January 2016 (Current)