Background | Classroom applications | Internet resources | Appendix

Chapter 2

Analyzing Conflict

By Carolyn Duffy

Peace has been defined as the absence of conflict. The theme of Chapter 2, Analyzing Conflict, provides learners with examples of situations in which conflict has occurred and a previously peaceful situation has become unpleasant, tense, or potentially violent. Chapter 2 expands on the photo series from Chapter 1 and builds on the students’ previously established notions about each of the peaceful situations depicted in the photos. As students examine the situations for the sources of the conflict or misunderstanding, they develop the vocabulary that they need to discuss the concepts of peace and conflict and deepen their understanding of these issues. As students explore the concepts and discuss their own attitudes and values, they improve their social interaction skills as well as their language skills. Teachers can use the proposed lesson by itself or expand it by adding additional activities in related lessons. The Internet Resources at the end of the chapter offer many lesson plans related to the theme of identifying conflict.

Background Information

Most people agree that conflict is a negative force that we should try to resolve in order to achieve more positive states, such as harmony, understanding, and peace, in our lives. Nevertheless, conflict exists at all levels of social interaction, from personal inner conflict to global wars and international violence. We cannot avoid conflict, but we can find ways to deal with it that will reduce its impact on our lives and even exploit positive effects related to conflict situations. For example, conflict resolution techniques provide us with ways to examine a situation and our responses to the situation that allow for more peaceful living.

Clarifying the elements within a situation that are sources of conflict is an important first step in resolving the conflict. Conflicts of resources, conflicts of needs, and conflicts of values or goals are the most common categories of conflicts, and it is often difficult to label the conflict precisely since resources, needs, and values are inter-related. Imagine that you are observing a group of children in a classroom or playground situation. What are the areas in which conflicts might occur?

Resources

• Someone takes your toy, book, etc. (personal property)
• Other children use all of the clay and none is left for you. (common resources)

Needs

• Someone calls you a name or insults you. (need for personal dignity and self-esteem)
• You were not asked to play the game. (need for inclusion and friendship)
• The teacher wants your paper now; you need more time to do it well. (need for achievement)

Values/Goals

• You are reading quietly and someone near you begins to talk or play a loud game. (The goal of reading quietly becomes a value conflict in this situation)
• Your friends are being mean to a classmate because he is Puerto Rican. You think this is wrong, but you do not want to lose your friends. (conflict of values)

The distinction between needs and values is often difficult to make. For example, in the conflict between quiet reading and loud game playing, are the children contending for the limited resource of space, or is there a value conflict between quiet reading and noisy playing? Sometimes at first glance it seems a simple task to label a conflict, when in fact there are many issues to be considered. The issues that initiate conflict are not confined to conflicts among children, but are the basis of community, national, and international conflicts that often escalate into wars. Understanding what the conflict is about and identifying the elements within the conflict situation are the first steps in its resolution.

 

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