Embracing Conflict

REVISED

Fall 2011 and Winter 2012 quarters

Faculty

Mark Harrison theatre, opera, film, performance studies , Theresa Aragon political science, public administration

Fields of Study

business and management, psychology and visual arts

Description

Conflict is a fundamental dynamic of human experience and interaction.  It is the necessary struggle to balance concern for self with connections to others.  Because pain, suffering, and stress are deeply associated with our perception of conflict, we tend to regard conflict as a destructive or destabilizing force.

Seen from another perspective, however, conflict is one of the most life-affirming forces in nature.  Without conflict, children would not develop into normal human beings. Without conflict, literature and the performing arts would be dull and insignificant.  Without conflict (and conflict resolution), we would live in a rather uneventful and humorless world.

The challenge for all of us and the purpose of this program is to understand and experience conflict as an important, unavoidable, and generally useful lifeforce.  In this two-quarter program, we will explore and analyze conflict from the perspective of the individual in the fall and community in the winter.  We will draw on a variety of sources—among them the arts, current events and politics, work and the business environment, forms of play—to learn about the nature of conflict and its role in society.  The program format will include lectures, seminars (in class and online), as well as active learning in the form of workshops, exercises, group and individual presentations, and field trips to performances.  We will focus on clarity in oral and written communication, critical analysis, and the ability to work across disciplines and significant differences.

Academic Website

http://blogs.evergreen.edu/embracingconflict/

Advertised Schedule

Required Orientation: 5-6p Tue (fall: Sep. 27; winter: Jan. 10); Class Schedule: 10a-6p Sat/Sun (fall: Oct. 1-2, Nov. 5-6, Dec. 3-4; winter: Jan. 21-22, Feb. 11-12, 25, Mar. 3-4)

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

Hybrid Online Learning 25 - 49% Delivered Online

Books

Greener Store

Schedule Details

Winter's February 25 date will meet in Seattle for an afternoon class and an evening production at Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Required Fees

$25 per quarter for admission to performances

Offered During

Weekend

Program Revisions