Conflict is an inherent part of human nature, individual relationships and thus society. However, there are important, successful and often underreported examples of coalition building and coexistence between groups that historically have been in conflict. This course will examine examples of social conflict based on religion, ethnicity and culture, provide an overview of theories that help to understand the nature of such conflict (i.e., social identity, limited resources, psychological, neurological), and then review current coalition building and coexistence work among various religious, ethnic and cultural groups, as well as in higher education, community programs and NGOs that promote coexistence work (i.e., Oasis of Peace, Slifka Program, UN Difficult Dialogues, Peace Studies Program, etc.). Conflict as a constructive tool for social change will be examined.

Interdisciplinary theories (e.g., psychology, communication, anthropology, political science, sociology) on conflict and coexistence will be used to understand the nature of these human phenomena.