Teachers' attempts to establish and maintain authority in their classrooms give rise to one of the essential tensions of teaching: reconciling caring and controlling. This paper examines sociopolitical questions about the nature of classroom authority and the uses of power to understand this tension. The first part presents an overview of the…

While the basic course in communication cannot eradicate the violence sweeping American society, it can take important steps to reduce violence and conflict by acquainting all college students with alternative means for handling conflicts. First, the instructor should ask the students to try to define "conflict," and then responses to…

A study examined the means by which inferences and emotions combine to motivate conflict escalation in response to nonverbal displays of status. Subjects, 64 male and 105 female volunteers enrolled in communication courses at a university located in the northeastern part of the United States, completed a verbal aggressiveness scale and a personal…

Reported are results from two runs of the simulation "Bureaucratic Bargaining," developed to help students understand the inherent tension between roles and belief systems in American foreign policy decision making. To determine their belief systems, 165 students enrolled in an introductory international relations course were tested with…

Because of a multiplicity of approaches to small group argument, research in this area often needs to be summarized, condensed, and redirected. Researchers have identified the rational, cognitive and interactive components of argumentation, and have demonstrated that arguments can take several forms and fulfill a variety of functions. The result…

A study explored how young adults view influences on their own conflict behavior: what examples had an impact on them and how; and what modeled strategies and tactics were available to them. Subjects, 172 undergraduates (119 females and 53 males), described in writing a conflict from their past which had a great impact on them in terms of how they…

The advances of contemporary rhetorical theory can be drawn upon to resolve the competing values of the two constituencies that have a stake in performance appraisals: the manager and the employee. One reason for problems in the existing model of performance appraisals is that the two sides perceive themselves to be in opposition, and that very…

The introductory speech communication course can benefit from the use of simulation exercises. In one exercise, students negotiate on behalf of the imaginary governments of Franistan and Germania. Participants are furnished with statistical data and informed that the two countries are mutually dependent, that they share a border, and that the city…

One model of successful time-limited psychotherapy characterizes the therapy as a movement through three interactional stages: the early rapport attainment stage, the middle conflict stage, and the final resolution stage. According to this model, these stages are indicated by the relative presence of communicational harmony. To examine the…

The Federal Republic of Germany has begun an experiment in industrial democracy giving workers federally guaranteed rights and authority in industrial decision making. All workers in companies with five or more employees are entitled to elect a works council with which management must consult concerning all employment policies and conditions. All…

The social responsibility theory of the press is usually considered to be a twentieth century development. According to this theory, one of the five major missions of mass communications is to raise social conflict from the plane of violence to the place of discussion. To achieve this, the media should serve as a forum for the exchange of comment…

An analysis of the problem solving process reveals at least three options: (1) finding the cause, (2) solving the problem, and (3) anticipating potential problems. These methods may be illustrated by examining "Oedipus Tyrannus," a play in which a king attempts to deal with a problem that appears to be beyond his ability to solve, and…

The Parent-Teacher-Student Network Model was developed to aid in development of open communication among parent, teachers, and students. A description is given of this model for parent-teacher-student conferencing which was designed to allow participants to discuss educational goals, resolve conflicts, plan strategies for achievement, and evaluate…

Evidence is accumulating that experiences of children within the violent family are fundamental causes of the continuing problem of family and societal violence. To examine attitudes and values as a function of experience with family violence, 114 male undergraduate students completed a questionnaire assessing general demographics, and several…

Mediation and mediation-arbitration (med-arb) are two forms of third-party conflict intervention that can affect integrative agreements in labor-management negotiation. In an attempt to evaluate the relative value of each of these two methods, 160 volunteers, almost all business students, were randomly placed into a mediation triad, a med-arb…