WMG00401 Conflict Resolution I

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

Academic Year 2026Year School/Graduate School Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Master's Course) Division of Humanities and Social Sciences International Peace and Co-existence Program

Lecture Code WMG00401 Subject Classification Specialized Education

Subject Name Conflict Resolution I

Subject Name
（Katakana）　

Subject Name in
English Conflict Resolution I

Instructor KAKEE TOMOKO

Instructor
(Katakana) カケエ　トモコ

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 1st-Year,  First Semester,  1Term

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (1T) Thur5-8：IDEC 203

Lesson Style Lecture Lesson Style
(More Details) Face-to-face

lectures, presentations and group discussion

Credits 2.0 Class Hours/Week 4 Language of Instruction E : English

Course Level 5 : Graduate Basic

Course Area（Area） 24 : Social Sciences

Course Area（Discipline） 02 : Political Science

Eligible Students Master’s students

Keywords Conflict resolution, conflict transformation, non-violent communication

Special Subject for Teacher Education 　 Special Subject 　

Class Status
within Educational
Program
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced
Evaluation
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)

Class Objectives
/Class Outline This class aims to understand conflict resolution mechanisms and their challenges.
Each conflict has different contexts and causes. Thus, conflict resolution tools and goals should be varied in every case. In this class, we will study conflict as well as conflict resolution mechanisms in order to consider what kind of resolution tools are needed in what kind of circumstances.
In each class, students make presentations on a chapter of selected books. The topic can be varied upon students' choice e.g. case studies of a certain armed conflict, peacebuilding, peace in relation to gender, environment, sports, and art, as well as non-violent communication as a tool for conflict resolution.
The following plan is a sample from last year. It can change depending on students' interests.

Class Schedule Class 1&2 Orientation for conflict resolution studies: rank as a cause of conflict
Class 3 The needs based approach for conflict resolution (NVC)
Class 4 Rank and privilege
Class 5　-15 presentation by students

Text/Reference
Books,etc. [articles]
-  Hideaki Shinoda: "A Critical Examination of Theories and Practices of Conflict Resolution: How do we approach "international intra-state armed conflicts"?"  at https://roles.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/uploads/body_pdf/file/16/WP_001_Shinoda.pdf (日本語訳あり)
- John Burton, "History of International Conflict Resolution,"  in Edward E. Azar and John Burton, International Conflict Resolution: theory and practice (Wheatsheaf books, 1986) pp. 40-55
- Oliver Ramsbotham, “Why Conflict Resolution Fails”, in When Conflict Resolution Fails (Polity, 2017)
- Bekkers, F. (2025), Is Transformative Dialogue a Possible and Justifiable Intervention for Resolving Intractable Conflicts?. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 42: 449-459. https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21461
- Blatz, C.W., Schumann, K. and Ross, M. (2009), Government Apologies for Historical Injustices. Political Psychology, 30: 219-241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2008.00689.x
- Cohn, C. (1987). Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals. Signs, 12(4), 687–718. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174209
[books]
●Matthew Levinger, Conflict Analysis: Understanding Causes, Unlocking Solutions (United States Institute of Peace Academy Guides), (United States Institute of Peace Press, 2013) ISBN-13: 978-1601271433
●Douglas P. Fry and Kaj Bjorkqvist, Cultural Variation in Conflict Resolution (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997)
●Pernille Reiker and Henrik Thune, Dialogue and Conflict Resolution (Routledge, 2017)
● Peter Wallensteen, Understanding Conflict Resolution (Sage, 2023) ISBN-13: 978-1529774436 https://amzn.asia/d/5fj0JBi
● Robert Bush and Joseph Folger, The Promise of Mediation (Wiley, 2005) Chapter 2
● Edward E. Azar and John Burton, International Conflict Resolution: theory and practice (Wheatsheaf books, 1986)

PC or AV used in
Class,etc. Text, Handouts, Visual Materials, moodle

(More Details)

Learning techniques to be incorporated Discussions, Quizzes/ Quiz format, Post-class Report

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review Students must complete the assigned readings and upload their responses to the questions on Moodle in advance of each class session. Please submit your Moodle comment sheet by midnight on the day before the class.

Requirements Students are required to enroll in both Conflict Resolution I and II concurrently. If you intend to take only one of the courses, please contact the instructor in advance.

Grading Method Presentation: 40%
Participation in discussions: 30%
Weekly Moodle comments: 30%

Evaluation:
- Presentation (40%): Assessed based on accuracy and depth of analysis, structure, quality of materials, and delivery including Q&A.
- Discussion Participation (30%): Assessed based on preparation, quality of contributions, and collaboration.
- Moodle Comments (30%): Assessed based on understanding of the readings, critical thinking, logical organization, and academic conventions (e.g., citation, clarity, appropriate terminology).

Practical Experience Experienced

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it Dr Kakee has worked for the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations as an adviser (legal expert) and her experience will provide knowledge about daily practice at the UN.

Message

Other

Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes.
Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Academic Year	2026Year	School/Graduate School	Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Master's Course) Division of Humanities and Social Sciences International Peace and Co-existence Program
Lecture Code	WMG00401	Subject Classification	Specialized Education
Subject Name	Conflict Resolution I
Subject Name （Katakana）
Subject Name in English	Conflict Resolution I
Instructor	KAKEE TOMOKO
Instructor (Katakana)	カケエ　トモコ
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	1st-Year, First Semester, 1Term
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(1T) Thur5-8：IDEC 203
Lesson Style	Lecture	Lesson Style (More Details)	Face-to-face
lectures, presentations and group discussion
Credits	2.0	Class Hours/Week	4	Language of Instruction	E : English
Course Level	5 : Graduate Basic
Course Area（Area）	24 : Social Sciences
Course Area（Discipline）	02 : Political Science
Eligible Students	Master’s students
Keywords	Conflict resolution, conflict transformation, non-violent communication
Special Subject for Teacher Education		Special Subject
Class Status within Educational Program (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced Evaluation (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Class Objectives /Class Outline	This class aims to understand conflict resolution mechanisms and their challenges. Each conflict has different contexts and causes. Thus, conflict resolution tools and goals should be varied in every case. In this class, we will study conflict as well as conflict resolution mechanisms in order to consider what kind of resolution tools are needed in what kind of circumstances. In each class, students make presentations on a chapter of selected books. The topic can be varied upon students' choice e.g. case studies of a certain armed conflict, peacebuilding, peace in relation to gender, environment, sports, and art, as well as non-violent communication as a tool for conflict resolution. The following plan is a sample from last year. It can change depending on students' interests.
Class Schedule	Class 1&2 Orientation for conflict resolution studies: rank as a cause of conflict Class 3 The needs based approach for conflict resolution (NVC) Class 4 Rank and privilege Class 5　-15 presentation by students
Text/Reference Books,etc.	[articles] - Hideaki Shinoda: "A Critical Examination of Theories and Practices of Conflict Resolution: How do we approach "international intra-state armed conflicts"?" at https://roles.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/uploads/body_pdf/file/16/WP_001_Shinoda.pdf (日本語訳あり) - John Burton, "History of International Conflict Resolution," in Edward E. Azar and John Burton, International Conflict Resolution: theory and practice (Wheatsheaf books, 1986) pp. 40-55 - Oliver Ramsbotham, “Why Conflict Resolution Fails”, in When Conflict Resolution Fails (Polity, 2017) - Bekkers, F. (2025), Is Transformative Dialogue a Possible and Justifiable Intervention for Resolving Intractable Conflicts?. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 42: 449-459. https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21461 - Blatz, C.W., Schumann, K. and Ross, M. (2009), Government Apologies for Historical Injustices. Political Psychology, 30: 219-241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2008.00689.x - Cohn, C. (1987). Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals. Signs, 12(4), 687–718. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174209 [books] ●Matthew Levinger, Conflict Analysis: Understanding Causes, Unlocking Solutions (United States Institute of Peace Academy Guides), (United States Institute of Peace Press, 2013) ISBN-13: 978-1601271433 ●Douglas P. Fry and Kaj Bjorkqvist, Cultural Variation in Conflict Resolution (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997) ●Pernille Reiker and Henrik Thune, Dialogue and Conflict Resolution (Routledge, 2017) ● Peter Wallensteen, Understanding Conflict Resolution (Sage, 2023) ISBN-13: 978-1529774436 https://amzn.asia/d/5fj0JBi ● Robert Bush and Joseph Folger, The Promise of Mediation (Wiley, 2005) Chapter 2 ● Edward E. Azar and John Burton, International Conflict Resolution: theory and practice (Wheatsheaf books, 1986)
PC or AV used in Class,etc.	Text, Handouts, Visual Materials, moodle
(More Details)
Learning techniques to be incorporated	Discussions, Quizzes/ Quiz format, Post-class Report
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	Students must complete the assigned readings and upload their responses to the questions on Moodle in advance of each class session. Please submit your Moodle comment sheet by midnight on the day before the class.
Requirements	Students are required to enroll in both Conflict Resolution I and II concurrently. If you intend to take only one of the courses, please contact the instructor in advance.
Grading Method	Presentation: 40% Participation in discussions: 30% Weekly Moodle comments: 30% Evaluation: - Presentation (40%): Assessed based on accuracy and depth of analysis, structure, quality of materials, and delivery including Q&A. - Discussion Participation (30%): Assessed based on preparation, quality of contributions, and collaboration. - Moodle Comments (30%): Assessed based on understanding of the readings, critical thinking, logical organization, and academic conventions (e.g., citation, clarity, appropriate terminology).
Practical Experience	Experienced
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it	Dr Kakee has worked for the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations as an adviser (legal expert) and her experience will provide knowledge about daily practice at the UN.
Message
Other
Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes. Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

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