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Constructing a baseline understanding of developmental trends in graduate conflict resolution programs in the United States

Pushing the Boundaries: New Frontiersin Conflict Resolution and Collaboration

ISBN: 978-1-84855-290-6, eISBN: 978-1-84855-291-3

Publication date: 13 November 2008

Abstract

The graduate field of conflict resolution is composed of an eclectic mix of programs, departments, centers, institutes, and think tanks which conduct a wide range of theory development, basic and applied research, service and teaching functions. Prior research on the graduate field has been limited mainly to either direct comparisons between a few graduate programs or summaries of progress made by program clusters, with the largest being a study of 18 programs. The composition and activities of the graduate field as a whole are not well understood, yet are hotly debated. This research attempts to fill part of this knowledge gap by specifically examining all known graduate programs in Peace Studies (PS), Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Conflict Resolution (CR) in the United States that award verifiable graduate credentials (i.e., certificates, masters, or doctoral degrees) in PS, ADR, or CR. The participants in this study therefore constitute the entire known population (N=94) of graduate credential granting programs in the United States that collectively award roughly 164 certificate and/or degree options. The results of this study constitute a baseline from which to specifically examine and compare program factors including: program location, size, student composition, faculty credentials and areas of expertise. This study also examines program content, including curriculum content, design, and delivery, areas of training specialization; and those elements that participants report make their programs unique. These and other results provide a means of comparing program types and individual program innovations in regard to curriculum, service, research agendas, and areas of practice. The study concludes with participants’ ideas on what program development trends we can expect to see in the coming years as well as where the academy is or is not meeting social needs.

Citation

Polkinghorn, B.D., La Chance, H. and La Chance, R. (2008), "Constructing a baseline understanding of developmental trends in graduate conflict resolution programs in the United States", Fleishman, R., Gerard, C. and O'Leary, R. (Ed.) Pushing the Boundaries: New Frontiersin Conflict Resolution and Collaboration (Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change, Vol. 29), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 233-265. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-786X(08)29009-9

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited