SYLLABUS
ISCOR 301: Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Section 1
Fall Semester 2012, San Diego State University
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00am-12:15 pm, 3113 Adams Humanities
Ronald J. Bee, Instructor
Office: 4107 Adams Humanities (AH-4107)
Phone: 619-594-6944; email rbee@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 12:30-1:30 p.m.; Thursdays 3-4 pm or by appointment
“War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” Bertrand Russell
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” Marie Curie
Background and Course Overview: ISCOR 301 will introduce you to the study of conflict and approaches to mitigate, resolve, or manage it. The twentieth century marked the bloodiest 100 years of human history with two World Wars and many conflicts that filled graveyards and left bitter legacies. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 did not augur well for our current century as we engaged in a global war against terrorism, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have since cost many lives and much money. Historical hangovers from the last century in
Africa, the Middle East and Northeast Asia defy apparent solution, although glimmers of hope arise in movements such as the Arab Spring in 2011, and various negotiations still try to prevent, resolve or at least manage the bloodshed.
Why do we fight, and why does conflict play such an important role in human history? What lessons can we draw from past conflicts for addressing current ones, and what approaches do we have in our quiver to combat destructive violence? When do we have no choice but to fight?
What role does identity and diversity play in conflict—my group vs. your group, my nation vs. yours—and when do skills such as listening, communication, tolerance and empathy help overcome the “us vs. them” dynamic? When we negotiate or mediate, what should we do and what should we avoid? In this class, we will read, listen, and question the range of opinions surrounding conflict and cooperation. The premise behind this course will take you toward a better understanding of the issues, challenges, and choices surrounding war and peacemaking.
You will also learn about American diplomatic approaches to conflict and conflict resolution.
Readings : You will read two books and selected articles placed on blackboard each week. Role play simulations will also occur periodically to drive home certain points and considerations.
Careful study of these materials and our discussions in class will prepare you for the midterm, a
3-page policy memo on a current international conflict, and final exam that will, along with your mandatory attendance, measure your performance in this class. The required texts:
1.
William Ury, The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop , Penguin, 2000.
2.
Richard Solomon and Nigel Quinney, American Negotiating Behavior, U.S. Institute of
Peace, 2010.
1

Course Requirements and Grading :
1.
Mandatory Attendance/Participation (10% of your grade) -- If you miss class more than twice during the semester, your letter grade will drop by one full grade for each lecture you miss. Participation means actively participating in the class discussion, not just occupying a chair and it means staying for the whole class. When sick or otherwise incapacitated, you will require proof of illness or unusual circumstances, and preferably before you miss class. We will discuss current affairs and issues in conflict and cooperation at the beginning of each class—and by following current events you will have the opportunity to express your opinions in class.
2.
Midterm (25% of your grade) – The midterm will include multiple choice questions and an essay on the material covered up to that point. September 27, 2012.
3.
3-Page Policy Memo on Conflict Resolution Topic (25% of your grade) – For more on the memo, see below. Due Date: October 30, 2012.
4.
Final Exam (40% of your grade) , covering readings and lectures, and the entire course.
The final will include multiple choice and essays. Date: December 13, 2012 11am -1 p.m.
To succeed, you must master the readings from the assigned books and articles on blackboard
( www.blackboard.sdsu.edu
), think critically and participate in class, learn to express your views effectively on a topic regarding conflict and conflict resolution in a policy memo format, and do well on the midterm and final exams (multiple choice and essay format).
Grading: 100 points possible: A, 91-100 points; A-, 89-90 points; B+, 86-88 points; B, 81-85 points; B-,79-80 points; C+, 76-78 points; C, 71-75 points, C-, 69-70 points; D+, 66-68 points;
D, 61-65 points, D-, 59-61 points; F, 58 or less points.
Do not plagiarize! Plagiarism of any type, shape, or form will cause you real world of global hurt. Plagiarism is defined as submitting someone else’s work without proper citation; buying a paper from a paper-mill, copying sentences, phrases, paragraphs, or idea’s from someone else’s work published or unpublished online or in print without giving the original author credit; piecing together phrases, ideas, and sentences from a variety of sources to write an essay; and submitting your own paper in more than one course. For information on plagiarism, and its consequences, including failing an assignment, receiving a lower grade, failing a course, or expulsion, see: http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/plagiarism .
The Policy Memo: As a deputy to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, you must prepare a 3-page position paper (with a 4 th
page for your sources/endnotes) on a pressing U.S. foreign policy issue relating directly to an international conflict, and arguing a way to resolve it. . You should write the memo in clear, persuasive, and succinct prose, have a title that indicates your view, adopt a school of thought as your approach, acknowledge and analyze at least two other approaches, and recommend a course of action. Your memo should have four separate but related sections spelled out and organized like this : I.
Background and Context of the problem (How did we get here?); II.
Stakes for American foreign policy (Why should we care, economically, politically, and militarily?); III. Options for resolving the problem or issue (What should we do?
2

You must provide at least three different options or schools of thought, giving the pluses and minuses of each); and IV.
Your specific Recommendation , based on your analysis delivered in sections I-III (What do you think we should do, and why?). What you argue will remain less important that how you argue it. Pick something you care about; your passions always argue more convincingly than do your platitudes. Do not write a book report! A policy memo tries to persuade the reader to choose between diverse options, and takes a stand on the best choice.
Writing actively, cutting the clutter, and getting to the point will help you achieve your 3-page memo You will also need to have a title that indicates your point of view; please do not make your title, “policy memo”!
COURSE THEMES, READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS, EXAMS
August 28: Course Overview
Identity, Diversity, and Conflict
August 30: Introduction to Conflict
Readings: 1 . Bill Ury, The Third Side , Intro.,“Are We Doomed to Fight?” and Chapter
1, “The Third Side,” pp xv-25; 2 . Richard Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , forward, preface, and introduction, pp ix-15; 3 . Introduction to Conflict (Blackboard Document #1) .
September 4: Human Nature and Conflict: A Given?
Readings: 1. Bill Ury, The Third Side
, Chapter 2, “The First 99% of Human History,” pp. 28-56;
September 6: American Negotiating Styles
Reading : 1.
Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , Chapter 2, “The Four Faceted
Negotiator,” pp. 19-45;
2.
Nevada District Export Council, “How Americans negotiate and
Why” (Blackboard Document #2; also here : http://www.nevadadec.com/reps_negotiate.html
September 11: W(h)ither Human Cooperation?
Readings: 1. Ury, The Third Side
, Chapter 3, “The Last 1%”, pp. 57-80;
Identity, Conflict, and Negotiation
September 13: Americans at the Bargaining Table
Readings: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , Chapter 3, “At the Bargaining
Table,” pp. 47-92; 2 . Cross Cultural Negotiation, Please access it here: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles/cross-cultural-negotiation.html
)
September 18: From Win-Lose to Win-Win
3

Readings: 1 . Ury, The Third Side
, Chapter 4, “The Recurrence” pp. 81-109
September 20: Bargaining Away from the Table
Readings: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , Chapter 4, “Bargaining Away from the
Table,” pp. 93-122. 2. Power Point, “Track Two Diplomacy” 4. (Document #3 on blackboard)
September 25: Exercise in Track Two Diplomacy
September 27: Midterm Exam
Perspectives on Overcoming US vs. Them: Past and Present
October 2: Conflict Prevention: Stopping Before it Starts
Readings: 1 . Ury, The Third Side
, Chapter 5, “Prevent: Provider, Teacher, Bridge-
Builder,” pp 114- 139. 2. U.S. Institute of Peace, Peace Brief, “Conflict Prevention: Principles,
Policy and Practice,” (Blackboard Document #4, you can also access it at: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/pb47.pdf
)
October 4: Internal Conflict Resolution: Americans Negotiating with Americans
Reading: 1.
Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior, Chapter 5, “Americans negotiating with Americans,” pp. 123-156.
October 9: Conflict Resolution: Understanding Interests, Rights, and Power
Reading: 1. Ury, The Third Side
, Chapter 6, “Resolve” pp. 140-168.
October 11: U.S. Presidents and U.S. Negotiators
Reading: 1.
Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , Chapter 6, “American Presidents and Their Negotiators,” pp. 159-186.
October 16: Conflict Containment: Keeping the Lid On
Reading: 1. Ury, The Third Side
, Chapter 7, “Contain,” pp. 169-196.
October 18: Negotiating in Different Forums: Bilateral, Regional, and Global
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior
, Chapter 7, “Different Forums,
Different Styles,” pp. 189-199.
October 23: Economic Negotiations
4

Reading: Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior
, Chapter 8, “Negotiating Trade: A
Bitter Experience for Japanese Negotiators,” pp. 201-209.
October 25 : Political Negotiations
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , Chapter 10, “Negotiating within
Washington”, pp. 221-235.
October 30: Security Negotiations
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior
, Chapter 9, “Negotiating Security:
The Pushy Superpower,” pp. 211-220.
POLICY MEMO DUE
November 1: Can We Negotiate Nonproliferation with Rogue States?
Reading: 1.
Ronald J. Bee, “Sanctions and Nonproliferation,” Foreign Policy
Association,”
Great Decisions , January 2011 (Blackboard Document #5); 2
. Ronald J. Bee, “7
Years after 9/11 A new Nuclear Bargain” Union Tribune Op-ed, 2008 (Blackboard Document
#6).
November 6 : Negotiating Bilaterally with Rivals
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , Chapter 11, “Negotiating as a
Rival: A Russian Perspective”, pp. 237-250.
November 8: Negotiating Bilaterally with Friends
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior, Chapter 12, “Negotiating
Bilaterally: India’s Evolving Experience with the United States,” pp. 251-269.
November 13: Negotiating Multilaterally
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior, Chapter 13, “The Advantages and Disadvantages of the U.S. Approach,” pp. 271-277.
November 15: Negotiating with Savoir Faire
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior , Chapter 14, “Negotiating with
Savoir Faire: Twelve Rules for Negotiating with the United States”, pp 279-89.
November 20: Summing Up: The Third Side
Reading: 1. Ury, The Third Side , Conclusion, “It’s Our Choice” pp. 197-206.
5

November 22: Thanksgiving Holiday – No Class!
November 27: Summing Up: American Negotiating Behavior
Reading: 1. Solomon, American Negotiating Behavior,
Chapter 15, “Conclusion:
Negotiating in a Transforming World,” pp. 293-313.
So You Want Some Skills?
November 29: Emotion: Using it, Controlling it
Reading: 1.
“Emotion: Using it, Controlling it” power point (Blackboard Document
#7).
December 4: Effective Body Language and Gestures
Reading: 1. “Effective Body Language and Gestures,” power point, (Blackboard
Document #8)
December 6: Conflict Resolution, Review for the Final Exam
Reading: 1. “Conflict Resolution,” power point, (Blackboard Document #9)
December 13: Final Exam 11am-1 pm
GODSPEED AND GOOD LUCK!
6