Positive political discourse is the heart of democracy. The purposes of political discourse include making an effective decision about the course the society should take and building a moral bond among all members of the society. A responsibility of social sciences within a democratic society is to provide the theory, research, and normative…

Although intellectual conflict may be an important instructional tool (because of its potential constructive outcomes), conflict is rarely structured in instructional situations (because of its potential destructive outcomes). Many educators may be apprehensive about instigating intellectual conflict among students because of the lack of…

The Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers Program trains every student in a school in the competencies they need to (a) resolve conflicts constructively and (b) make their schools safe places in which to learn. The program is directly based on the theory and research on constructive conflict resolution. More than 16 studies in 2 different countries…

Peace education is a key for establishing and maintaining a consensual peace. Creating an effective peace education program involves five steps. First, a public education system must be established with compulsory attendance; all children and youth should attend so that students from the previously conflicting groups interact and have the…

Argues that all students be taught how to negotiate and mediate and learn the role of the mediator. Three steps in managing conflicts are examined: establishing a cooperative context; creating intellectual conflicts; and establishing a peer-mediation program. The theory and research underlying these steps are reviewed. (GLR)

Some violence prevention programs do not work because they are poorly targeted, provide materials without implementation strategies, apply neighborhood methods to school settings, and project unrealistic notions about the social forces underlying violence. Schools cannot eliminate all conflict but should go beyond violence prevention to create a…

This study examines the effectiveness of a cooperatively oriented negotiator who is highly skilled in role reversal in inducing cooperation in an adversary. Agreements were greater and faster in individualistic conditions than in competitive conditions. (Author/DB)

This article discusses the nature of conflict and conflict resolution within educational organizations, focuses specifically upon the causes of conflict between students and school personnel and outlines several factors relevant to increasing the probability that such conflicts will be managed constructively. (Author)

Although violence prevention programs can be helpful, they are frequently poorly targeted and unrealistic about the social forces driving student behavior. Conflict-resolution training is effective when it occurs within a cooperative context, teaches students when a conflict is or isn't occurring, stresses concrete negotiation and mediation…

Comment includes implications for communication theory. (CH)

The paper considers the efficacy of role reversal, used in conflict situations, for reducing distortions in perceptions of the opponent's position, for increasing understanding of the opponent's position, for clarifying communication during negotiations, and for inducing cooperative behavior in conflict situations. It was noted that little…

Undergraduates discussed a moral issue with a confederate who had the same opinion (no controversy) or opposite opinion (controversy) within either a cooperative or a competitive context. Subjects in the controversy conditions indicated more conceptual conflict, engaged in more information seeking, and were more accurate in taking the cognitive…

Discusses the positive value of conflicts and describes a six-step program, Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers, that instructs students in how to negotiate and mediate conflicts. Reviews research on the effectiveness of the program and the benefits of self-regulation for school discipline programs. Provides steps on how to structure academic…

Although traditional discipline procedures (expulsion, time-out rooms, suspensions, and scolding) teach students to depend on authority figures to resolve conflicts, the Peacemaker Program teaches children how to mediate disputes and negotiate solutions themselves. To regulate their own behavior, students must have opportunities to make decisions…