2020/2021 WiSe FOMT 2.3B Communication and Conflict Management

Goals of qualification: The students are able to assess conflicts, select methods and tools for their handling, and apply them in the field. They are able to rely on ethical norms in problem handling and to lead communication processes in a democratic and participatory manner. The students are capable of guiding communication processes among stakeholder groups, as well as to conduct participatory surveys.

Contents: Theories and concepts of verbal and nonverbal communication are introduced. Communication as social behaviour, conflicts as part of social systems and conflict solution, psychological dispositions and perception of human beings. Rhetorical rules and psychological patterns for purposeful actions and reactions when disputing about natural resources. Methods and instruments for pro-active situation-related interventions in on-going communication, negotiation, discourses and conflicts. Strategies for mediation, meta-plan moderation, as well as participation in the context of rural development. Communication with Rapid Rural Appraisal, Participatory Rural Appraisal and in field laboratories.