LB5514 - Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution

This subject explores the role that culture plays in conflict and its resolution. In a multicultural country such as Australia and in parts of the country such as north Queensland, where there is more than one strong culture, an understanding of culture is critically important. Historically, people who work to mediate disputes have been expected to remain culturally neutral or removed from their own worldview when negotiating conflict in cross-cultural settings. Increasingly, however, mediators are finding that embracing and seeking to understand culture is a more practical and effective strategy. Examining the role of culture can help conflict resolution practitioners improve the ways in which they relate to disputing parties, and expand the range of tools they can use when practising mediation in cross-cultural contexts.

Learning Outcomes

• evaluate complex conflict and related theories and standards for professional practice in CMR;
• critically analyse complex conflicts and conflict management systems;
• provide specialised advice to assist individuals, groups and organisations to constructively manage conflict;
• effectively communicate with, facilitate and support people in personal, group, organisational and cross-cultural conflict;
• independently and critically reflect on and assess their own capabilities and performance, and make use of feedback as appropriate, to support personal and professional development.

Subject Assessment

• initial learning brief (10%)
• comparative analysis (30%)
• case study (50%)
• final learning brief (10%).

Special Assessment Requirements

This subject is taught online through LearnJCU and students need to participate online throughout the whole study period. There is also an optional face-to-face workshop (3 days: 21-23 August 2020) for skills activities. Students must engage in online learning from the first week of the study period and throughout the entire study period.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.