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106 Conflict Resolution Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Conflict resolution is an essential skill that plays a crucial role in various aspects of our lives. Whether it is in personal relationships, the workplace, or even on a global scale, conflicts are inevitable. However, it is how we address and resolve these conflicts that determines the outcome and impact they have on our lives and the world around us.

Writing an essay on conflict resolution can provide a deeper understanding of this skill and its significance. To help you get started, here are 106 conflict resolution essay topic ideas and examples:

• The importance of conflict resolution in personal relationships.
• Conflict resolution techniques used in international diplomacy.
• The role of empathy in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution strategies for parents and children.
• The impact of unresolved conflicts on mental health.
• Conflict resolution in the workplace: best practices.
• The role of effective communication in resolving conflicts.
• Conflict resolution in multicultural societies.
• The influence of gender on conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution and negotiation skills in business.
• The role of compromise in resolving conflicts.
• Conflict resolution in online communities.
• The impact of conflict resolution on organizational productivity.
• Conflict resolution and its effect on community building.
• The role of forgiveness in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution in educational settings.
• Conflict resolution in the criminal justice system.
• The impact of cultural differences on conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution in the healthcare industry.
• Conflict resolution in sports teams.
• Conflict resolution and human rights.
• The role of power dynamics in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution and social media.
• The impact of conflict resolution on economic development.
• Conflict resolution in environmental disputes.
• Conflict resolution and international cooperation.
• The role of mediation in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution in the family business.
• The impact of conflict resolution on personal growth.
• Conflict resolution and social justice.
• Conflict resolution and restorative justice.
• The role of negotiation in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution in political campaigns.
• The impact of conflict resolution on romantic relationships.
• Conflict resolution in the classroom.
• Conflict resolution and conflict prevention.
• The role of compromise in international conflicts.
• Conflict resolution and the media.
• Conflict resolution in the digital age.
• The impact of conflict resolution on community engagement.
• Conflict resolution and public policy.
• Conflict resolution and mental health stigma.
• The role of leadership in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution in the family court system.
• Conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
• The impact of conflict resolution on employee satisfaction.
• Conflict resolution in the nonprofit sector.
• Conflict resolution and social inequality.
• The role of trust in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution in the music industry.
• Conflict resolution in urban planning.
• The impact of conflict resolution on interpersonal relationships.
• Conflict resolution in the military.
• Conflict resolution and workplace diversity.
• The role of emotions in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution and environmental conservation.
• Conflict resolution in international trade disputes.
• Conflict resolution and community policing.
• The impact of conflict resolution on team dynamics.
• Conflict resolution in diplomatic negotiations.
• Conflict resolution and conflict transformation.
• The role of dialogue in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution and social change.
• Conflict resolution in healthcare teams.
• Conflict resolution and human rights violations.
• The impact of conflict resolution on organizational culture.
• Conflict resolution in online gaming communities.
• Conflict resolution and the justice system.
• The role of compromise in interpersonal conflicts.
• Conflict resolution and urban development.
• Conflict resolution in the tech industry.
• The impact of conflict resolution on workplace communication.
• Conflict resolution and gender equality.
• Conflict resolution in community organizations.
• Conflict resolution and sustainable development.
• The role of active listening in conflict resolution.
• Conflict resolution in international peacekeeping missions.
• Conflict resolution and social entrepreneurship.
• The impact of conflict resolution on employee well-being.
• Conflict resolution in the film industry.
• Conflict resolution and environmental justice.
• The role of negotiation in interpersonal conflicts.
• Conflict resolution in public health emergencies.
• Conflict resolution and poverty reduction.
• Conflict resolution in online dating.
• The impact of conflict resolution on family dynamics.
• Conflict resolution and international human rights law.
• Conflict resolution and workplace ethics.
• The role of compromise in political conflicts.
• Conflict resolution in the fashion industry.
• Conflict resolution and sustainable agriculture.
• Conflict resolution in international aid organizations.
• The impact of conflict resolution on organizational effectiveness.
• Conflict resolution in online marketing campaigns.
• Conflict resolution and racial justice.
• The role of empathy in interpersonal conflicts.
• Conflict resolution in disaster response efforts.
• Conflict resolution and social media activism.
• The impact of conflict resolution on team performance.
• Conflict resolution in international business transactions.
• Conflict resolution and sustainable tourism.
• Conflict resolution in humanitarian interventions.
• The role of compromise in environmental conflicts.
• Conflict resolution and sustainable energy.
• Conflict resolution in international sports competitions.
• The impact of conflict resolution on community empowerment.

These essay topics cover a wide range of areas where conflict resolution plays a significant role. Whether you are interested in personal relationships, international affairs, or social justice, there is a topic that suits your interests. Remember to conduct thorough research and provide examples to support your arguments. Good luck with your essay!

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The Guide to Reflective Practice in Conflict Resolution by Michael D. Lang–Book Review

This is a book review by David Hubbard of the book “The Guide to Reflective Practice in Conflict Resolution” by Michael D. Lang, published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2019 as one of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s (ACR) Practitioner’s Guides Series 

By exposing the reader to various models, methods, examples, and by exploring the enriching benefits of reflective practice, Lang’s guide can help any practitioner, no matter where they are in their development as a conflict engagement professional, become more.  More curious, more competent, more confident, more effective, more resourceful, and more self-aware by engaging in reflective practice to learn at a more personalized level through the personal insights one gleans from reflections on experiences in mediation to enhance one’s abilities and skills.

The Guide reminds us there is no one size fits all, no single path, no one model or style of practice that is ideal for all practitioners.  With over thirty years of experience as educator, practitioner, researcher, and author, Lang’s writing flows with clarity, confidence, conviction, and keen insights about how anyone might achieve excellence.  By becoming a reflective practitioner, the reader will learn why reflection before and during mediation is so important.  Lang points out the many benefits of reflective practice, and various ways one can engage in reflective practice by essentially learning from experience to become more competent.

Lang writes that, as coaches, facilitators, and mediators, the nature of our confidential work tends to keep us isolated in a bubble.  Our work is typically observed by only the participants and their representatives.  We generally work solo, operating in a vacuum with no one observing our efforts to provide us with useful feedback and insights to deepen our learning from the specific experience for future use. Conferences, seminars, trainings, and workshops allow us to build bigger and better tool boxes but with limited opportunities to practice effective and thoughtful application of the new knowledge, skills, strategies, and techniques. 

As professionals, we risk having our successes stifle our curiosity and indirectly cause us to develop blind spots, assume, and get into a practice rut because we have done something in a particular way repeatedly in the past with successful results.  Do we really know what works and why?  When one of our tried and true moves does not work in the heat of a difficult mediation, who do we blame?  As conflict engagement professionals we can experience routine as tunnel vision.  “Reflective practice provides a means for exiting the tunnel and taking a fresh look at our experiences,” writes Lang.  When we have a commitment to learning, an attitude of curiosity and a desire for self-improvement everyone benefits. 

The Guide is like a seed packet you can open, plant, tend, and then thoroughly enjoy the results.  Lang offers seeds of wisdom with clear, precise, insightful writing and truly enjoyable storytelling.  Every chapter in The Guide is full of detailed and thoughtful comparisons, examples, exercises, experiments, inspiring ideas, methods, models, questions, quotes, and, of course, motivational reflections.

From the very beginning I was inspired and found the reflection exercises useful.

For example:

“Exercise 1.5 Preparing for Mindfulness:

  When beginning a new conflict resolution intervention, and as you organize and present your introductory comments, remind yourself to pay attention to discovering “new things.”

  What you notice may be about yourself and the way you deliver your introduction. What do you notice about the language you use, your pace, and the tone of your voice?

  Pay attention to the participants’ responses to your comments. Are their reactions predictable? Take notice of anything unexpected or new from them. Do they respond to specific ideas or language?

  And pay attention to your reactions to their behaviors. Are they influencing you, and if so, in what ways? Are you willing to alter your comments in response to what you are thinking and feeling or in response to the parties’ actions, comments, and questions?”

As I read this exercise, I noticed I was a little uneasy about a court-ordered mediation the next morning with a couple who had been labeled by the court, their attorneys, and previous mediators as intractable high conflict frequent flyers.  A recently appointed guardian ad litem for the children affirmed this and I was appointed to mediate a new parenting plan.  So I reflected on my own introduction. I was concerned that, in spite of having taught hundreds of law, graduate, and undergraduate mediation students for over a decade, about the great importance of the mediator’s introduction, mine was falling short of artistry and had grown stale. I often delivered the introduction on auto-pilot as I unconsciously checked off the required elements off my invisible checklist while the parties’ eyes glazed over.

Thanks to inspiration from Chapter 1 and Exercise 1.5, the next morning I experimented with my introduction.  The result was a pace and tone that helped me create greater rapport with the parents as I was genuinely curious and committed to learn about them and their conflict.  I was more attentive, respectful and checked in more frequently with the parents, aware of the uniqueness of their situation of which they were the experts.  From my reflective mindset I was a better listener, observed more, was more resilient, I valued ambiguity, and resisted certainty.  The insights I gained from being more reflective and hence more present helped me to help them.

The mediation resulted in a shift for the parents as they felt empowered, heard, and understood.  They moved from the bitter fighting (their pattern for years) to focusing on their children’s best interests.  In a problem solving manner they crafted a complete and detailed parenting plan.  While I cannot take the credit for their success, my reflections before and during the mediation helped.  Lang’s guide has further inspired me to start reflective journaling again, hold a reflective practice workshop, and start a reflective practice group with our local panel of mediators which may expand to a separate state-wide reflective debrief group.  

If you want to stay on your A game, improve it, or develop one, The Guide to Reflective Practice in Conflict Resolution can be an incredible resource and inspiration.  It’s notable that The Guide comes nearly 20 years after Lang’s co-authorship with Alison Taylor of The Making of a Mediator: Developing Artistry in Practice, which was the first book to specifically inspire mediators about reflective practice.  The Guide is evidence of Lang’s lifelong commitment, dedication, expertise, insight, knowledge, leadership, passion, research, skills, thinking, and writing about reflective practice and the benefits of reflection that can elevate a mediators’ practice if committed to continuous learning as one strives for artistry.

Here is what some leading professional mediators and educators have written about The Guide:

“Michael Lang‘s reflective practice guide is a gift to current and future practitioners, from students tonight offices to the most experienced experts. Rather than a prescription for a specific practice model, it is a delightful and accessible reference, full of examples from actual cases as well as exercises designed to help people continuously become more affective throughout their careers.”

“A Guide to Reflective Practice in Conflict Resolution is an outstanding contribution to the conflict management field. With Michael’s creative insights, practical case examples, and innovative techniques, he inspires practitioners to examine and understand what guides the strategic and tactical choices we make in our work. This book is a must-read for practitioners who strive to bring their professional best to their work and for educators and trainers who strive to inspire learners to do so.”

• Cinnie Noble

“Grab this wise and wonderful book plus five mediator friends and form your own reflective practitioner group. Lang‘s book asks just the right questions to start you on your journey. You’ll never regret it.”

• Ava J. Abramowitz

David Hubbard

David A. Hubbard, J.D. is the Director of the Conciliation Court for Douglas County District Court in Omaha, Nebraska.  As Director, Hubbard coaches, facilitates, mediates, and negotiates complex parenting plans and modifications. Additionally, Hubbard teaches advanced mediator workshops and parenting education classes and provides restorative justice processes for Douglas County… MORE >

Michael Lang

For over 40 years Michael has mediated family, workplace and organizational disputes. He has designed and presented introductory and advanced mediation and conflict management courses, workshops and webinars in the US and internationally. Michael created one of the first graduate programs in conflict resolution in the US at Antioch University… MORE >

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"Reflective Practice in Conflict Resolution", University of Malta (Winter 2015)

“Reflective practice is the process of exploring a pattern of action, making adjustments during the action, or thinking about past action. In an elemental sense, most of us preform some form of reflective practice virtually every day. To the extent that reflective practice incorporates theory and experience, even the most mundane of activities engages aspects of experiential learning and nascent theory.” This course is designed to introduce students to the theories, skills and approaches to conflict resolution focused around reflective practice. Reflective practice involves developing critical awareness, and subsequently using such a lens to explore the patterns of action that make up our lives. We aim to first observe and acknowledge our social, emotional, mental, political and interpersonal patterns, and based on these observations, make adjustments to our present to positively affect the future while learning from the past. Through an exploration of a variety of literatures we will develop theory, awareness and practical familiarity with such approaches and seek to locate places for their incorporation into our work. This course is designed to be integrative, combining theories of conflict and applications of reflective practice approaches. We will focus on engaging in three core areas: 1.) Conflict resolution practices and theories necessary for understanding, mapping, intervening and transforming conflicts. 2.) Reflective practices necessary for understanding positionality, subjectivity, knowledge construction and experience. 3.) The collaborative development of practice through the shared experience of knowledge building, critical engagement and guided reflection

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Seminar — Students Seminar Reflection: Conflict Sensitivity and Resolution

Students Seminar Reflection: Conflict Sensitivity and Resolution

• Categories: Class Reflection Seminar

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13 min read

Published: Aug 14, 2023

Words: 2529 | Pages: 6 | 13 min read

Table of contents

Conflict in general and in the legal profession, the expense of litigation and mediation, alternative dispute resolution, unraveling the nature of conflict, final thoughts.

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Experience of Interpersonal Conflicts Essay

Interpersonal conflicts are inseparable elements of living in human society and building relations with other people. Even though their scope varies, there are some universal strategies, which can be deployed to solve them, referred to as communication theories. The key to using them successfully is learning to identify the needed theory and finding the ways to adapt it to cope with a conflict on a case-by-case basis. This paper is an attempt to analyze the personal experience of the collision of interests and applying the course material to handling it.

There were numerous conflicts I was involved in, but I decided to choose for analysis the one, which is the most significant concern to me. Most children have conflicts with their parents without regard to their age and social status. I am not an exception to this overall rule. I often have conflicts with my parents over my choice of lifestyle and spending free time. The parties involved are my father and mother on one hand and me on the other.

The conflict is a lasting one because as long as I remember myself, my parents taught me what I should think that they know what is better for me. As I grew older, I believed that I was adult enough to make similar choices by myself deciding where to spend time with my friends or how to manage my day. Every time I tried to prove it to my parents, we started quarreling. I believe that the reason for the conflict is that they refuse to accept that I have grown up.

Even though my father and mother want to protect me from making mistakes, which might affect my further welfare, I cannot see the reasons why choosing a hobby is a bad thing. The nature of our conflict may come down to the fact that family ties have always played a significant role in making the life decisions of both mom and dad. So, it might seem appropriate to them to direct me throughout my life just the way their parents did.

Interfamily conflicts, i.e. the conflicts between children and their parents, have become the subject of numerous scholarly studies in different areas of research from psychology to communication. I believe that my case is closely related to the course materials and scholarly articles because the newly obtained knowledge might be beneficial for determining the appropriate model of communication with my parents and coping with the problem in our family.

As for the course materials, they are relevant because they serve as the background for identifying the nature of the conflict and identifying the strategies for overcoming it. Speaking of the scholarly articles, they are the sources of additional knowledge necessary to improve the understanding of the initially received information and finding the ways that have proved to be effective in cases similar to mine.

The primary matter of concern in our family is the issue of ineffective communication. The model of communication is often viewed through the prism of cultural norms and ethnic background. That said, there are different dimensions of interfamily dialogues. They are based on the perception of power and freedom to express opinions. For example, my family unit is characterized by what is referred to as vertical-horizontal orientation of power distance.

This type of strategy for building family relations implies more authority of parents to control their children’s lives regardless of their age (Shearman, Dumlao, & Kagawa, 2008). In addition to it, the findings of some investigations point to the fact that interfamily conflicts are often evoked not only by ineffective communication but also the discrepancies in the perception of life and central values as well as the differences in developmental needs, i.e. what is known as generation gap (Birditt, Miller, Fingerman, & Lefkowitz, 2009). These scholarly studies have become a supplementation to the course materials, which have not mentioned similar ideas.

There are different types of conflict resolution styles. For example, some authors identify withdrawal, positive problem solving, and conflict engagement as the primary strategies for solving conflicts. Withdrawal is characterized by ignoring the existence of the problem. It means that the parties involved do not recognize the existence and significance of the problem. The second strategy, positive problem solving, implies conducting negotiations to find the most appropriate and comfortable solution to the challenge.

Finally, conflict engagement is about losing control over situations and emotions and getting involved in the active conflict (Doorn, Branje, & Meeus, 2011). Cahn and Abigail (2014) highlight that people in conflict choose either withdrawal or aggression, which makes conflicts ambiguous and unpredictable. The authors also note that there are only two types of strategies, which can be used for handling problems – destructive and constructive.

Recollecting the findings of the scholarly articles mentioned above, it can be said that positive problem solving is a constructive strategy while conflict engagement and withdrawal are destructive ones. Even though withdrawal is ignoring the conflict, it might lead to its escalation in the future.

Communication is key to establishing a comfortable conflict-free atmosphere in a family unit (Galvin, Braithwaite, & Bylund, 2015). If it is impossible to avoid conflicts, there are different communication strategies, which can be used by family members. Some of them are aggressive, adaptive, protective, and inconsistent communication. Aggressive communication is characterized by overt conflict and verbal violence. Adaptive strategy implies functional dialogue, which is close to reaching constructive solutions. Protective communication is about determining that one parent is a protector of a child’s interests.

Finally, the inconsistent type is simply ineffective. It means that the preference is given to power instead of well-considered arguments (Haverfield, Theiss, & Leustek, 2016). Cahn and Abigail (2014) determine similar types of communication. However, they identify what is known as collaboration and compromise. The first type of communication is similar to adaptive communication while compromising strategy implies trading out the desired conflict solution by providing arguments and something of benefit in return for the demanded changes.

To sum up, while conducting this research, I have come up with several significant conclusions. First of all, I realized that the model of communication used within my family unit was ineffective and inconsistent. The same can be said about the deployed conflict resolution type. In most cases, I chose to ignore the existence of the problem, i.e. withdraw from the conflict. When I tried to make my parents understand me, I got involved in overt conflict using an aggressive communication strategy.

I believe that there is a perfect solution to my problem. The challenge could be handled if I use adaptive communication. I think it might also be useful to become open in expressing my thoughts and opinions instead of disregarding the issue.

Birditt, K. S., Miller, L. M., Fingerman, K. L., & Lefkowitz, E. S. (2009). Tensions in the parent and adult child relationship: Links to solidarity and ambivalence. Psychology and Aging, 24 (2), 287-295.

Cahn, D. D., & Abigail, R. A. (2014). Managing conflict through communication (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

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• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, April 26). Experience of Interpersonal Conflicts. https://ivypanda.com/essays/experience-of-interpersonal-conflicts/

"Experience of Interpersonal Conflicts." IvyPanda , 26 Apr. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/experience-of-interpersonal-conflicts/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Experience of Interpersonal Conflicts'. 26 April.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Experience of Interpersonal Conflicts." April 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/experience-of-interpersonal-conflicts/.

1. IvyPanda . "Experience of Interpersonal Conflicts." April 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/experience-of-interpersonal-conflicts/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Experience of Interpersonal Conflicts." April 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/experience-of-interpersonal-conflicts/.

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