CMST 463: Communication & Conflict

Important Dates

Course Drop (with full refund) date: August 30, 2020
Course Withdrawal (with W grade) date: September 20, 2020

General Description

As described in the course catalog:
Study of sources, patterns, and outcomes of conflict in relationships within interpersonal, familial, organizational, managerial, or intercultural relationships. Emphasis on interactive, systems-level analysis of naturally occurring conflict episodes. Practice in managing conflicts, reframing, negotiation, and mediation.

Course goals:

Explore the study of communication and conflict within interpersonal and organizational contexts
Facilitate students' ability to understand communication problems and provide theory-based solutions using lecture, discussion, group activities, case studies, and independent research
Practice effective communication and listening skills while engaging in creative andragogy
Build on learners’ prior experiences and coursework to develop skills in needed to engage in conflict more productively within a variety of contexts
Analyze and discuss conflicts from a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives, including power, face, climate, emotions, self-reflexivity, and styles
Research, analyze and develop recommendations for conflict resolution based on communication theory and approaches

Course objectives:
By the end of this course, students should be able to...

Define conflict, list, and apply concepts, theories, and methods used in conflict, negotiation, and mediation;
Demonstrate negotiation strategies and communication tactics, including BATNA and mirroring, used in productive negotiations and conflict de-escalation;
Analyze interpersonal and organizational conflicts, use words and language associated with conflict mediation to describe these conflicts, and recommend appropriate third-party intervention;
Describe and use communication techniques associated with different conflict styles and tactics
Explain the role of communication, identity, and self-reflexivity in conflict management;
Identify, understand, and utilize positions, interests, and goals to manage conflict in interpersonal relationships;
Describe different forms of power and its relationship to interdependence as well as how power is used in interpersonal conflict; and
Complete a guided conflict analysis (via case study) and prescribe conflict resolution strategies based on research-supported theory and practices