Journal 13

In the beginning, when the project was first assigned, my group was all really enthusiastic about the project. We all wanted to get A’s on everything and not let eachother down by always being on time to group meetings with all of our work done. As time went on, though, we became less and less enthusiastic. We just wanted the project to be over with. We still came with work completed, but with less enthusiasm.

As a group, we agreed the project had been dragged on for such a long time. We were so tired of reading about fish in India. We were even joking around that we were starting to break one of the rules on our constitution: “always come to group meetings with a smile on your face”.

We found the pros of group work was that we could bounce ideas off of each other. But groups work was also really frustrating at times. Especially when we were writing the paper. It was hard to combine our ideas, and that made the process slower. It was extremely frustrating.

Journal 12

This was the first Thanksgiving I have been gluten free for. My Mom, concerned I would get upset by the fact that I couldn’t eat all of the pies, stuffings, and gravies associated with the holiday, decided to cook our entire holiday feast gluten free. I appreciated this so much. Usually to save time, my mom buys pre made pie crust, and makes the filling. But she had to make the pie crust this year for it to be gluten free. No one had a problem with this, even my brother, who had a variety of food allergies himself, sympathized with me. There was one person though, who found a reason to protest: my sister. She and I have had a rocky relationship for years. Up until Thanksgiving Day, we had not spoken since June. So naturally, she had a problem with changing something for my benefit. She argued that none of it would taste the same (which 90% of it did) and that it was changing tradition.

In this conflict, I was the avoider that I always am. I figured that it wasn’t my decision to make everything gluten free and I didn’t choose to have a gluten intolerance (trust me, I’d much rather not), so my sister shouldn’t be mad at me. So every time she made a jab at, “I wasn’t involved in the cooking this year; there is a lack of gluten”, I simply rolled my eyes and kept my comments to myself. And so did the rest of my family. And this was the day that my sister decided to end her coercive commitment.

Journal 11

When I negotiate, clearly I want to leave the table with everything I wanted to begin with, but I have to think about what I would be willing to give up. If I don’t want to take the train home for winter break, and my parents can’t pick me up, it’s absolutely fine that I have to stay two extra days so a friends can drive me. I still achieve my main goal, just a little bit later than expected.

I learned my negotiation styles from my family. I am the youngest of four children, and admittedly, that made me a little selfish. All parents like to baby their youngest, and growing up, there was rarely a time when I didn’t get the last cookie from the box because I was the youngest and it was only fair. This has shaped my negotiation style because if I truly want something, I will try as hard as I can to get my point across and get my way. It may make negotiation longer, but in the end I usually get my goal achieved. And I think as I’ve grown up, I’ve learned how not to be so selfish, because now, I am willing to give up certain things in order to get my goal achieved.

Journal 10

I used to think that I was passive aggressive more than anything when handling conflicts, but now I have learned I am more of an avoider. I would avoid talking directly about the problem and try to show people what I was talking about instead. I thought this was being passive aggressive, but now I have realized I am being more of an avoider by doing this. I don’t want to talk about the conflict; I just want it to go away.

Journal 9

When in a group, if you have a dissenting opinion, it is easier to go along with what everyone else thinks than to speak up. To speak your mind means to say that you think what the majority of the group says is wrong. This makes speaking your mind a difficult thing to do. So, many people end up just going along with the rest of the group when they are doing terrible things because they are afraid to speak up. They could be afraid of being made fun of. Or worse, they could be afraid the group might turn against them.

Journal 8

When my conflicts finally end, I become an avoider. I usually get fed up with the conflict in general and don’t care about the outcome anymore. I’d like to say for my own sake that I don’t give in, but I withdraw. As for the larger conflicts in the world, a third party usually has to step in and tell them what to do to end it. this is because their conflicts have been going on for so long, they usually don’t know what they’re fighting for anymore at that point.

Journal 12

It's so hard to objectively think of the way I acted in this conflict. However, from thinking over it, I can see a lot of faults that I need to work on. The particular conflict I am thinking of is between me and two good friends at Juniata. I think that the root of the problem is that my one friend is just a little different than me and my other friend (we'll call him Joe), and we don't quite understand why he acts the way he does sometimes. I secretly realize this and want to cut him some slack because he just operates a little differently than us, and doesn't realize that it sometimes hurts our feelings. My other friend (we'll call her Sara) is sensitive, and the carelessness and seeming coldness of Joe toward her really gets to her. So Sara is creating all kinds of intention inventions and truth assumptions about Joe's actions, and always seems to find the worst possible way to explain his actions. However, Sara hasn't really been receptive to my excuses for Joe, and continues to think that Joe has something against her. Although, I do tend to agree that Joe is a bit selfish and doesn't think about how his actions or reactions affect others. So I find myself caught up in talking to Sara about Joe and agreeing that he is kinda rude and mean and doesn't mean well.
Taking a step back and looking at this situation, I find that there is a lack of communication and an abundance of miscommunication. Each person involved in this conflict obviously has very different expectations of what a good friend is, and in order to resolve it, those expectations have to be communicated and understood by each person. I think there is also a large lack in trust involved.
I'm not proud of my lack of responsibility and care in this conflict. I am doing my classic avoiding strategy by thinking that the conflict is just between Joe and Sara, and that if they want to make it better, they have to take care of it themselves. But I am both of their friends and I am kind of in the middle of the conflict, since I get along better with both Sara and Joe than Sara gets along with Joe. I do feel some obligation to try to make things a little less hostile, but Sara has her mind made, and Joe will not open up to me about it. I have discovered that my style of avoidance hasn't always worked out for the best, and that at some point, I really need to gain the courage to be a part of conflict and use it to achieve good things.
Sometimes I think that the best option for Joe and Sara is for them to reduce contact, and not try to be good friends. Sometimes that's just the way things work- not everyone can be friends. However, that would put me in an awkward situation where I basically would have to pick a friend and go with that one, and loose friendship with the other person.
I think things will get better soon, because we are all going abroad next semester, so that will give Joe and Sara some time away from each other. When we all come back next fall, I think we will all get along a little bit better. I can help but think that this is just a resolution that will lead to other conflicts in the future.

Journal 11

The first thing I think about when I enter a negotiation is “what would work for both of us.” I usually have in mind exactly what I want for myself coming into the negotiation, but in the end I don't usually push to hard for that option unless I think there is a way I can convince the other person that that would work for them too. Usually, I find myself thinking, “what can I live with,” or “what am I willing to give up?” I think that often times, I give in easily to other people's wants because it makes negotiation easier, and causes less conflict.
I don't think I'm very good at negotiation when it comes to people I really care about. I like to give them what they want, and I'd rather deal with the short end of the stick than give it to them. However, when I'm negotiating with someone I don't have a vested interest in, I can be far more harsh and really try to get the better deal for myself.
I never really thought about it before, but I think that I may have learned how to negotiate from watching my parents negotiate about me. My father usually gives into whatever my mother is arguing, but he is never happy about it. I never liked hearing them argue, or having to deal with a grumpy father for the next few days, so I try to make sure people are happy with the decision.

Journal 10

I have found that my conflict style leans strongly toward avoidance. I am a big avoider, it's my favorite way to deal with a conflict, and I am pretty okay with that. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, make excuses for them, and generally wiggle my way out of needing to confront them about things. I have generally found that starting up fights over little things aren't worth it. So I try to be easy going. Sometimes this means that I wait until little things get big enough to be worth confrontation, which isn't really a good thing. When it does come to confrontation, I don't think I'm too bad at it. However, I've found that for the most part, avoiding works for me and makes my life a lot easier.

Journal 9

I think there are many factors which influence conflict dynamics at all every levels of conflict. I think that one of the most influential factors on any conflict level is group influence or group-think. No matter what anyone says, everyone cares at least a little bit about what other people think of them. In order for people to feel good about themselves, they have to feel like other people think well of them. This is why average individuals who may have normal or even strong moral values can get on a slippery slope of group-think from needing approval from others and end up committing horrible acts of atrocity in order to fit in or be a part of a group. We went over at the beginning of the semester that a person partly defines themselves by the groups they are a part of, and they have to have good feelings associated with their group if they want to have good sense of self. If having good group moral means demeaning or hurting another group, then (as we can see throughout history) that group will go to that level of evil, justifying it all the way.

Journal 10 - Personal Conflict Style

One thing that I have learned about my personal conflict style is that it can change. I don't think I handle conflict the same way today that I did six months ago or six years ago. I think that it will continue to change as I get older and have more experiences with different types of conflict. Today I am more willing to confront people and stand up for myself. This sometimes means engaging in conflicts that I would have avoided before.

Journal 9 - International Conflict

There are many different factors that influence conflict dynamics amongst individuals, groups, and nations. For individuals, one of the main factors is how often and how they communicate with each other. For groups, the unknown plays a huge role. Even if each of the group members were identified as a role, there is still the unknown as to how they will react around the others in the group setting which makes group conflicts extremely complex. There are many many factors that play a role in international conflicts. These include: needs of the people, identity as a nation, and many more.

I think that there are many reasons that humans are so willing to commit horrible acts against another human. I think a huge part of it is dehumanization. For example, if I am a member of nation "Y" and I am very disconnected from the citizens of nation "Q", I can rationalize in my mind that "Q" citizens are not people, that they are an evil enemy. As a result, if I feel they threaten my way of life, I am more willing to commit heinous crimes against them.

In the international arena, I think crimes often take place because nations tend to look out only for themselves as a nation in terms of needs and demands. This leads to a lessened sense of community and a higher tolerance for crime and atrocity.

Journal 8

My conflicts end in many different ways. There are conflicts that end peacefully and are never a problem again, then there are conflicts that I just have to walk away from because they aren't worth investing any more time, energy, and emotion into them anymore. I have also ended conflicts by agreeing to disagree or by ending relationships because I/we cannot reconcile the differences between the two parties. I think that each ending can be fitting for different conflicts. I think what usually ends my conflicts are communication to reach a mutual understanding or a mutual understanding that is brought about by not communicating. Either way, it is eventually understood by the other party how the conflict will end or has ended, and what the future holds for our relationship.

I think that this tends to be the way that conflicts go throughout the world. I don't necessarily think there is a better way to end a conflict than another as long as the conflict ends peacefully, and actually resolves the conflict completely.

Journal 7

I think that for the most part, I try to deal with conflicts in a mature and fair way, but the conflicts that do escalate in my life often escalate are often due to miscommunication. I often try to ignore or rationalize the actions of others to avoid getting in a conflict with that person. Then, whenever I can't take it anymore, I usually approach the person to deal with the conflict, but don't do it in the best way possible. Yelling at someone for doing something they never knew was a problem is not a very effective or efficient way of dealing with a conflict. So I've been working on trying to NOT be passive when there is a problem, and then approaching the person in a positive way to deal with the conflict instead of escalatory tactics.

My own conflicts escalate because of my unwillingness to talk to the other party. In the beginning of the conflict, I usually put my feelings on the table as to why I angry, if that does not solve the conflict, I am uaually unwilling to talk about it furthur. Someties out of stuborness, other times because I am intimidated. Usually, if causes so much stress in my life, it takes over. But if I am in control of the situation, it can sometimes be fun.

Journal 8 - How does conflict end?

I think that they way a lot of conflicts end in the world around me is unpeaceful. Both groups may say that they are content with the compromise but the tension does not diminish. That takes time. On a global scale, conflicts are so volatile that if they come close to being resolved, one slight move can reignite the conflict and the cycle continues. It just seems that often times, we say we are happy with the situation and walk away but we would still be willing to engage in the conflict all over again. People have become desensitized to conflict and are not as opposed to it as may have been the case in the past.

Journal 7 - Escalation

Most of the conflicts that take place in my life revolve around communication and the more strained communication becomes, the more the conflict escalates. I contribute to the escalation of the conflict because when I get frustrated with people I have very poor communication skills which just makes the situation worse. I don't like being in conflict though when I am in conflict, I don't always work very very hard to remedy the situation.

Journal 6

As far as patterns of conflict in my life, I have been noticing recently that I keep buying chocolate to put in the candy bowl in my apartment for guests, and my roommate keeps eating it all by herself within a few days and she never replaces it. Whenever we run out of chocolate, she complains to me about it. So then every time I go to the store I feel obligated to buy more chocolate... Which is SO expensive! I keep buying the chocolate because I keep thinking that one day, when I open the candy jar, there might actually be something chocolatey and delicious waiting there for me. So far there has only been disappointment.
Lately, I've been hiding my chocolatey sins in my room, where my roommate won't see them, and won't find them. I realize this is a pretty passive-aggressive way to deal with this problem, but I'm definitely trying to avoid a larger conflict, which would be that my roommate is generally what I'll call "thrifty," and won't pay me back for things that I buy for the apartment, but will demand a refund from me on the things she buys for the apartment.
I think the next time she complains about not having any chocolate, I'll just suggest that she buys some herself
I guess, overall, this little conflict probably points out a long pattern of my dealing with conflict. I like to think that I start out being kind, forgiving, and understanding, but maybe to a point, that's just being passive? Then, like in this particular conflict, I try to drop hints to the person I'm in conflict with that I have a problem with what is happening because I don't overtly want to hurt their feelings (passive-aggressiveness). Then I end up in full out aggression where I tell that person what is wrong... Probably not in the best way possible. I tend to wait to deal with a conflict head-on until it's the last straw and I explode. I'll have to work on that.
I really wouldn't be able to fit that into a conflict model. Perhaps the spiraling model, where one action just leads to another and it comes back to the same place in the end.

Conflict Patterns

When dealing with conflicts, I am always really passive aggressive. When I realize someone has wronged me, I don't really like to approach them directly, so I try to show them that I am angry at them. When that doesn't work, I am then forced to talk to them. This follows Kreisberg's model. After I become aware of the conflict, I move onto conflict conduct by being passive aggressive. Then I let it escalate when I have to talk to the person face to face.

Week 5

I can occasionally be confronational, but it all depends on what the conflict is about. If the it is about something I don't necessarily care about I will choose to stay out of it, and not escalate the conflict. Though if the conflict is about something I have a passion for I have no problems escalating it. This can relate to the awareness and escalation parts of Kriesberg's conflict circle.

Journal 6 - Micro Theories

Within my conflicts, I do see some patterns. I'm a very nonconfrontational person so when a I sense a conflict with someone, I often let those feelings build within myself and prevent the other party involved from reaching the "awareness" stage in Kriesberg's model. As a result of my avoidance of conflict, "conflict conduct" doesn't often involve interaction between me and the other party. It's often me talking to someone else about my feelings toward the conflict. Escalation usually just involves becoming more frustrated at the situation and de-escalation is just the opposite. I either become less annoyed or just begin to feel better without interacting with the other party. In many ways my conflicts do resemble those in the models presented in class.

Journal 5

Theories can be complicated. What theory or theories did you find compelling? What questions do you have about the theories? Do you have a native theory of conflict? What is it?

I think that the Basic Human Needs theory is complicated. From what I assumed from the name, I immediately agreed with it. But then I discovered that they weren't talking about basic human needs like shelter, food, and water. No, the theory is more about basic human emotional needs like recognition, happiness, and social interaction. I don't think I completely agree with this theory, but I think it does have a lot to do with why conflicts happen.

My question is: do Basic Human Needs cause conflict, or does conflict cause Basic Human Needs? If a person were to be a hermit and never have contact with anyone else, would they really have conflict on a Basic Human Needs theory level? It seems to me that this theory only works in a social level. If that hermit gets a job at Kinkos and isn't getting enough positive feedback from his boss, that would cause his fight for recognition and happiness. A hermit might have trouble finding food and water, but that's not covered in the BHN theory. I don't think it makes sense to include basic human needs for survival into the BHN theory. Why does it leave out something so fundamental that does cause conflict all the time?

Journal 3

Reflect in this journal on your group. What are your expectations for group process? What are your hopes for your ability to accomplish the task? Can you identify different styles/personalities that you think might effect how the group functions?

I expect that our group will work together well, but there will most likely be conflicts that arise that are just a part of working in a group. i.e. late arrivals to meetings, disagreement on topic, etc. But I hope that none of these conflicts will be big enough to get in the way of finishing our project with a good grade.
I think that in any group project, there are always different personalities that contribute different things to the group dynamic. Of course, there are the lazy people who don't do anything and get credit for the work, there are the over-achievers who do all the work themselves, there are more organized vs. messy people, there are the know-it-alls who won't listen to other people's ideas, and there are leaders and followers. I think my group won't have too much of a problem with the spread of work and the dedication to that work. I hope that our ability to accomplish the task isn't hindered by any bad personality types, and that our task can be done without a problem. I also hope that we might even be able to have a little fun with it.

i find the theory that conflict is innate in human instict interesting. This theory says that it is innate in human instinct to have a sponateous, aggresive drive. It says that this is the root of all conflict. The aggressive drive was once so stonge that humans used to regularly kill each other. This is now socially unacceptable. With this theory in place, humans would be fighting each other all the time, and only the stongest would survive. This sets up a kind of survival of the fittest scenario. To control the conflict, we need some sort of sublimation or displacement; a way to take our feelings of conflict and channel them into something more useful, or into something else entirely.
This theory of conflict being innate would explain why it seems that some humans are always looking for a fight. Others are always looking to start drama within their groups of friends. These humans have no particular reason to be mad at anyone and they don't know why they would want to start a conflict, but because it is their instict, they do it.

Ben Lang

The Coercion theory is what I found most intriguing. The Coercion Theory says that conflicting interests within a society are not permanent and that a consensual model of a classless society comes from revolutionary conflict. In my mind this means that people or small groups can disagree within a society without it affecting the main process of things. Once people start calling for a complete overhaul of a particular belief or idea of the way something needs to be, is an example of a revolutionary social conflict. This is when I feel changes within a society become permanent.

Journal 5 - Compelling Macro Theories

One theory that I find intriguing is the Social Identity Theory which is considered a social process. The theory assumes that a portion of one's identity comes from the groups to which the individual belongs. According to this theory, conflict occurs when two groups compete for status within a particular system.

I am interested in looking at more conflicts through the lens of Social Identity Theory because I think it reevaluates a notion which many people assume as being accurate without any confirmation. We assume that our identity comes from the groups that we belong in, which is why, during high school students join certain clubs over others. They perceive that a particular club will bring the student more prestige ad status.

This conflict will look at why different groups of people engage in conflict based on their desire for belonging and status within groups, or of their groups within a system which I feel has a lot of practical use.

Journal 4

When I look at conflict in my life, I usually just feel extreme stress and confusion. One of the biggest things I've been in conflict with the last few weeks has been balancing classwork, work, and trying to maintain a level of sanity. Perhaps it's too difficult while I'm in the middle of this conflict to be able to look at it clearly and analyze it like a pro, but I certainly do try.

When I look closely at my conflicts I notice that it is really easy to get caught up in the emotions of a situation and overlook the facts or realistic options/choices. I suppose a lot of what has been going on with me has dealt with my views of relative deprivation. It just seems so unfair to me that all of my professors don't seem to think that I have other classes and just as much work to do in those classes as they are assigning me each day. Though if I think a bit more clearly about my situation, time management skills (though I swear they are not working for me) are the best way to deal with these things, and perhaps even talking with professors directly. I also feel, like I think many students do, that students do not have as much power at "the table" as professors do, so they seldom try communicating with their professors. This perceived unequal level of power can really get in the way of resolving conflicts, not only because someone can perceive that they have more power than another, but because those who perceive themselves to have less power don't bother to try to change things.

Conflict Analysis in My Life

Not being able to eat gluten is one of the most complicated conflicts in my life. It involves so many people, maybe even more now that i moved to college, and now that i know the teminology, i can analyze the different levels of conflict it invloves. Especially when i frist discovered i could't eat gluten, and all of my favorite foods that incorporated the ingredient my body processes as poision, the conflict contained mostly internal conflict. Then, my family had to learn to adjust. My mom had to learn to cook gluten-free and my family had to remember to keep away from my food, and not eat my former favorite foods in front of me. That was an interpersonal conflict. When i came to the college, I found I had nothing to eat but salad on a daily basis. I had to work my way into a meeting with the Sodexo head chef to get him to order gluten-free versions of the typical food they make. My conflict with Sodexo is an ongoing intragroup conflict. Most days they have to make me my own meal, but I can't always guarantee that i will show up to that meal. Sometimes they have something waiting for me anyway, but other times I find myself waiting for the food. We are still working things out, but I am confident it will work out smoothly over time.

Group Process Analysis

From the beginning the overfishing group experienced conflict. It was a large group, so we were having touble finding a common meeting time. We were able to solve that problem by splitting our group into two groups. I am now in a group with two other people and we function great. Each time we meet we discuss our topic and work on our project together. Before we part, we decide on what we want to have done before our next meeting. Our group works well because we communicate what we want from each other.

Being a student athlete at Juniata my biggest conflict that I face is having enough time in my day. Looking at this conflict from an outside perspective not only does this effect me but my proffessors, coaches, friends, and family are all effected as well. When I unsuccessfully manage my time such as putting my down time with my friends before my school work I not only let my professors down but my coaches as well. My coaches rely on me to make a good grade so I can play soccer. Professors in my opinion like to know there work is appreciated and see their students preform well. One of the biggest things I've learned to do is to put my priorities in order. Based on who will forgive me the easiest for not making time to spend with them or spending time on what they would like me to do.

For the environmental conflict group we only have two members. I feel that having a smaller group we will be able to make our ideas flow better. I believe that both group members have the right mindset and will preform there best to recieve a high mark. I believe we both have good personalities and will have no problems with working together.

Journal 4 - Terms of Analysis

In College Writing Seminar (CWS) last week, our facilitator shared a photo with us from the Juniata Archives. The photo was of the dining hall in approximately the 1950s. She asked us to take a couple moments to write about the photo, sharing any ideas or thoughts we might have about it.

I looked at it for a few seconds and began writing and I noticed the words on my paper included “gender stratification”, “gender roles”, etc. I couldn’t help but think of the possible conflicts and underlying messages in place in the photo. I thought about the romantic notions of the roles being displayed and what conflicts they would cause in modern society.

Without learning the basics of conflict, I never would have thought in these terms to simply describe the photo I was looking at.

Journal 3 - Group Impression

I am excited to focus on women’s rights for the conflict analysis group project. I expect that we will work well together as a group and that we will not have too many conflicts. We are all very different and have different backgrounds that may effect how our group functions though I’m not certain it will mean a negative impact. Instead I think it will provide some interesting debate and discussion about the topic we have chosen.

Mazes

Conflict to me is like a maze. It seems that whenever I am envolved in a conflict the path to solve it may seem obvious but there always is underlying reasons for why the conflict came to be, making the path to solving it not as clear. Also each conflict to me has its own terrain or surroundings. Some mazes can be easy to solve at first glance while others require more time.

Journal 1

Currently, my life is filled with conflict. As a new college freshman, I just moved 4 hours away from home and every day i am faced with conflicts that are completely new to me. Internal conflicts could include weighing the decision to study or take a nap. Social conflicts include every interaction with my roommate, or better yet weather to go out and see that movie when you know you should be writing that paper for German class.
Fortunately, these are the types of conflict that make life interesting. Without my parents around to tell me what to do, I will be able to fully discover just how responsible how I am. How much homework i try to get done early, or how clean i try to keep my room.
There are other types of conflict though, that are far less interesting and enjoyable than the self-discovery type. While it is connected to self-discovery, I find all social conflicts in which you have to interact with another person far more stressful than deciding weather or not you want to make your bed every day.

To me right now it seems that the smallest conflicts are the ones that matter most. You can't solve the world hunger problem without providing a few small areas the means to attain their own food first.
The thing i would like to know most about conflicts is why they are started in the first place.

Conflict Metaphor

Conflict for me is like getting up in the morning. At first, when my alarm goes off and wakes me from sleep, i am unsure of my surroundings; then when i come around, I just want to go back to sleep. As i slowly reaize i must take responsibility, I reluctantly get out of bed and start getting ready for the day, hoping it will be a good one, but not regretting if it turns out bad.

Journal Entry 2

How do I feel about conflict in my life. What factors impact how I feel about conflict? What conflicts matter? Why? What do I want to learn about conflict this semester?

I feel pretty comfortable in my life and relationships right now and I don't feel like I have a large amount of conflict in my life at the moment. I feel some normal internal conflict brought about by the stress of beginning the school year, but all in all I don't feel like there is a lot of conflict for me to address right now. I like to think that I handle conflict pretty well (maturely at least), but I try to avoid conflict when I can. I try to make friends that aren't too touchy or drama/attention grabbers. I just find that it makes my life a lot easier.

There are many factors that impact how I feel about and deal with conflict. I'm sure there are many that I don't even realize. I think some of the main factors that impact how I feel about conflict are; who the other person is, my relationship with that person (respect/power), what the situation is/how serious, and how much I care about that person and the outcome of the conflict.

If a conflict really matters to me, that is usually when it effects me personally, or another person, subject, or object that I care about. It seems to me that people choose their causes based on what effects their lives directly. For instance, a person who's sibling has cancer is more likely to donate or run fundraisers for cancer research.

I want to learn how others deal with conflict so that I may better prevent and mediate conflict within my own experience.

Journal 2 - Conflict Metaphor

Conflict for me is like a water balloon about to burst. If I’m holding the balloon I have a feeling of power because I can control what direction the balloon goes. There are times when I am not holding the balloon though and I feel powerless. Sometimes the water balloon gets thrown at me when I’m not expecting it and it takes me by surprise. I am often able to recover but remain soaked by the balloon. Some days when it’s hot out it is refreshing to engage in a water balloon fight but other times I’m just not in the mood. Often times the water balloon is so full that it only takes a small amount of pressure to burst and impact everyone in close proximity.

Journal 1 - Impacting Conflict

There are a lot of factors that impact the way I respond to conflict and the way I feel about it. The people I’m around often have a big impact on my feelings towards conflict because if I’m around people like my brother who avoid conflict, I am more likely to choose not to engage it in myself. If I’m around people who thrive on conflict, I am more likely to engage in conflict. My mood/emotions on any given day also impact my response to a conflict situation.

This semester I would like to learn about more about why some people thrive on conflict and how it can be used as a tool for accomplishing positive objectives.

Journal 1

Conflict for me is like being in a boat adrift at sea. I'm floating and doing okay, but have little direction. There are things that influence which way I float, like the wind and currents. Sometimes the waters are calm, and sometimes they are dangerous and wild. Every once in a while I have to take out the oars and fight back against what is pushing me.

I like nature, it is neither good nor evil, and I have a lot of faith in it and myself.

Journal 1

Conflict for me is like a game of soccer. I used to detest it when I was younger and try to avoid it like the plague. But then I got older, saw positive things, and started to appreciate the enjoyment (benefits) that can come out of it. Also like soccer, I feel conflict doesn’t have time outs. The clock just keeps going at all times and you really can’t stop it because you need a break. When soccer is being played by people who don’t know what they’re doing, it really isn’t enjoyable to watch or be a part of, but when played by someone who is well prepared and skilled, it can be a great thing to see or participate in. When a game isn’t that important, it can end in a draw, but then there are really important matches. In these, sometimes it comes down to a point where you can’t keep playing the game anymore, no more extra time could be added, and it’s on to penalty kicks. It’s just one on one and taking shots at each other where one side is going to prevail eventually and one side is going to lose regardless of how the other side feels. But all in all, you are going to win some, you are going to draw some, and definitely going to lose some.