DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

COURSE: SOCIOLOGY 2A
TERM 2: CONFLICT STUDIES
Prof Ingrid Palmary
Mr E Mutisi
2023

Annie Spratt www.unsplash.com*

 Table of contents

Sociology 2A: Conflict Studies ............................................................................................................. 3

Meet the teaching team ..................................................................................................................... 3
Your lecturers ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Course format ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Lecture schedule ................................................................................................................................. 6
Tutorials .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Assessments ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Test .................................................................................................................................................. 8
........................................................................................................................................................ 8
Essay ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Essay marking rubric ..................................................................................................................... 10
Lecture Plan ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Week 1: What is conflict? What is conflict studies? ......................................................................... 12
Week 2: How do conflicts escalate ................................................................................................... 13
Week 3: Orientations to conflict and emotions in conflict ............................................................... 13
Week 4: Power in conflict ................................................................................................................. 14
Week 5: Intervening in conflict ......................................................................................................... 15
Week 6: Apology, forgiveness and reconciliation ............................................................................. 16
Week 7: Tying it all together ............................................................................................................. 16
 Sociology 2A: Conflict Studies

Now that you have a general introduction to the study of groups from term 1, we are going
to focus on one aspect of group dynamics, namely conflict. In this module we will draw on
conflict theory to understand conflict in societies with high levels of conflict. We will look at
the nature of conflict, how conflict escalates, the role of emotion and power in driving
conflict or peace and the different conflict styles that people have. We will then study the
creation of peace, in particular the role of apology, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Meet the teaching team

You can watch a brief introduction to your lecturers on blackboard.

Please email any queries about the course content to your lecturers Prof Palmary
(ipalmary@uj.ac.za) and Mr E Mutisi edmtisi@gmail.com).
Email any administrative queries to the Course Coordinator. Dr M Suleman
(muhammeds@uj.ac.za).
If you are struggling with any aspects of the content your tutors are also there to assist you.
Your senior tutor is Mr E Mutisi edmtisi@gmail.com).
Your student representatives are also an important channel to communicate any areas of
concern about the course to your lecturers.

The tutors on the course are:

NAME SURNAME EMAIL ADDRESS

Edson Mutisi (Lecturer/Senior tutor) edmtisi@gmail.com
Ashton Prinsloo ashtonandrea96@gmail.com
Lemeese Steyn lemeese.8@gmail.com
Stanley Muravha Muravhastan@gmail.com
Kabelo Motswagae davidmotswagae@gmail.com
Njabulo Nene njabulonomvula07@gmail.com
Lerato Ntebele leentebele197@gmail.com
Thabang Koole gtkoole@yahoo.com
Siboniso Sikhakhane sibonisosikhakhane9@gmail.com

Your student representatives are:

NAME SURNAME EMAIL

Sheelagh GERRITSEN sheelaghbbridget@gmail.com
Tshepiso SHUMANE shumanetshepiso@gmail.com
Sihle DIKO dikosiphesihle0@gmail.com
 Your lecturers
Prof Ingrid Palmary joined UJ as a Professor in
January 2018. Prior to that, she worked at the
African Centre for Migration & Society at Wits
University from 2005 -2017. Before entering
academia, Prof Palmary worked at the Centre for
the Study of Violence and Reconciliation as a
senior researcher. Her research has been in the
field of gender, violence and displacement. She
has published in numerous international journals
and is the co-editor of Gender and
Migration: feminist interventions published by
Zed Press; Handbook of International Feminisms:
Perspectives on psychology, women, culture and
rights published by Springer; Healing and Change
in the City of Gold: Case studies of coping and
support in Johannesburg published by Springer.
She is the author of Gender, sexuality and
migration in South Africa: Governing morality
published by Palgrave.
Edson Mutisi is a fourth-year doctoral student in
Industrial Sociology at University of Johannesburg.
He is broadly interested in labour and
employment, fourth industrial revolution and
work, migration, service work, gender, higher
education and African Studies and his doctoral
thesis builds on some of these themes, examining
the labour and processes involved in online
teaching within institutions of higher education in
South Africa.
Edson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology of
Labour, Employment and Organisation from
University of Bejaia in Algeria, a Higher National
Diploma (HND) in Human Resources Management
from the Institute of People Management of
Zimbabwe (IPMZ), a Bachelor of Arts Honours in
Industrial Sociology from University of
Johannesburg and a Master of Arts degree in
Industrial Sociology from University of
Johannesburg in 2019. He has been tutoring
second year Sociology students since 2017. In
2019, 2020 and 2021 he received awards for the
best Sociology tutor from the deanery. In 2022 he
received an award for the most innovative
Sociology tutor.
 Course format
The lecture schedule is below:

APK Tuesdays 13:50-1 D Les 101 Meeting ID: 389 599 709 821
Prof Palmary Passcode: iEViZV
Wednesdays 9:40-10:25 B Les 100 Meeting ID: 345 648 988 475
Passcode: 2duaUp
Thursdays 11:20-12:55 A Les G02 Meeting ID: 398 278 312 846
Passcode: gam7BY
Fridays 10:30-11:15 A Les G02 Meeting ID: 397 284 412 729
Passcode: 2aku7s
DFC Wednesday 8:50-10:25 Q/K G302 Meeting ID: 333 450 847 24
Mr Mutisi Passcode: S4Ym4z
Thursday 15:30-16:15 Lwazi Meeting ID: 398 627 222 118
Passcode: Nr2D9x

Lectures slides with voice recordings and all your readings

are available on blackboard. These should be completed
before you attend class.
The double lecture period will be an enrichment lecture
where we test your knowledge of key concepts and apply the
content to real world examples. The short lesson will assist
you with essay preparation. There will be an online link for
those who cannot attend in person. However, lectures will
not be recorded.
The lectures do not cover everything in the course, and you
need to study the readings as well. There may also be some
additional materials which are designed to provide
illustrations and real-life examples of the content covered
that week. All materials (readings video etc) that are in the
folder labelled ‘required reading’ are examinable.
You can attend tutorials face to face or online. These are an
opportunity to work through the material using questions
that will assist you in developing your essay. Please consult
the tutorial schedule on blackboard for times and venues.
Please look at the tasks listed in your week-by-week section
on blackboard to make sure you don’t fall behind.
Study Tip!
Begin by listening to the recorded lecture
and taking notes as you listen. Then work
through the readings for the week adding
new information to your notes as you go.
This should be completed before the
lecture. In class you will have a chance to
test your understanding and ask questions.
You will also practice applying what you
know to real world examples. Once you
have done this you can attend your tutorial
where you can ask questions of clarity and
will be given a task to assess your ability to
understand and apply the material. You
will also discuss that section of your essay.
You can then complete the online quiz for
the week. After this you should write the
section of your essay that pertains to the
week’s material.
 Lecture schedule

It is very important to work through the material week by week to ensure that you keep up
with the lecture schedule. Each week builds on the previous one so complete the material in
order. The following structure will ensure the best results:

WEEK MATERIAL TO COVER TOPIC

Week starting 11 Complete all activities under week 1 on What is conflict?
April 2023 blackboard
Week starting 17 Complete all activities under week 2 on How do conflicts escalate?
April 2023 blackboard
Week starting 24 Complete all activities under week 3 on Conflict styles
April 2023 blackboard
Week starting 1 May Complete all activities under week 4 on Emotions and power in
2023 blackboard conflict
Week starting 8 May Complete all activities under week 5 on Intervening in conflict
2023 blackboard
Week starting 15 May Complete all activities under week 6 on Apology forgiveness and
2023 blackboard reconciliation

Tutorials

You can continue to attend the same tutorial sessions that you attended in term 1. The links
for online tutorials are the same as term 1. These small group sessions allow for learning to
take place in an exciting and interactive manner. Not only do the tutorials enable you to
improve your understanding of the contents of the course, but they also equip you with skills
that prepare you for tests, exams, as well as the writing up of assignments. This is also your
opportunity to discuss with your tutor any problems with the reading material, lectures,
assignments and/or test and exam preparation. Each tutorial includes an activity which is
designed to equip you to prepare your final essay.

The tutorial programme is as follows:

TUTORIAL DATE CONTENT COVERED

Tutorial 1 Week beginning 17 April Week 1 self-assessment question and essay discussion
Tutorial 2 Week beginning 24 April Week 2 self –assessment and essay discussion
Tutorial 3 Week beginning 1 May Week 3 self-assessment and essay discussion
Tutorial 4 Week beginning 8 May Week 4 self-assessment and essay discussion
Tutorial 5 Week beginning 15 May Week 5 self-assessment and essay discussion
 Assessments

The Sociology 2A module uses continuous assessment. That means

that you will undertake a series of assessments throughout the term
which will make up your final mark. There will be no separate exam.
All the assessments will take place online and you will have to
upload your answers onto Blackboard. The Sociology 2A final mark
(which combines Term 1 Group Dynamics and Term 2 Conflict
Studies) is calculated as follows:

Group dynamics term 1 50%

Group Dynamics test 1 20%
Group Dynamics essay 20%
Group dynamics quizzes 10%

Conflict studies term 2 50%

Conflict Studies test 2 20%
Conflict Studies essay 20%
Conflict studies quizzes 10%

Final mark for Sociology 2A 100%

As you can see there are three different types of assessments, two tests, two essays and at
least 4 quizzes per term. You will need to complete a quiz once a week throughout the
semester. The dates when a particular assessment opens and closes for submission are
provided in the table below:

ASSESSMENT SCOPE OPENS FOR SUBMISSION CLOSES FOR SUBMISSION

CS quiz 1 CS Week 1 11 April 2023 08:00 17 April 2023 17:00
CS quiz 2 CS Week 2 18 April 2023 08:00 24 April 2023 17:00
CS quiz 3 CS Week 3 25 April 2023 08:00 1 May 2023 17:00
CS quiz 4 CS Week 4 2 May 2023 08:00 8 May 2023 17:00
CS Test CS Week 1-4 16 May 2023 08:00 18 May 2023 17:00
CS quiz 5 CS Week 5&6 16 May 2023 08:00 22 May 2023 17:00
CS essay Whole course 11 April 2023 08:00 29 May 2023 17:00
 Test
Your test will be based on the material covered in week
1-4. It will made up of short questions (about 5-10
marks) as well as long questions (up to 25 marks). In
the test no marks will be given for copying the lecture
slides directly. Rather every question will require some
application to real life scenarios. This is where your
discussions in tutorials will be essential as you will
develop the ability to apply theory to an everyday
situation.
The test will be completed and submitted online via
blackboard. The test will open at 08:00 on the 16 May.
The final date for submission is 18 May 2022 17:00
Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Santiago, Chile
Study Tip
The course is structured so that each week
builds on the previous week. By the end of
the course, you have completed a full
conflict analysis. This conflict analysis
technique is one that you can use whenever
you are faced with a conflict in your
personal or professional life. If you do the
course in order and use the essay topic as an
example writing sections week by week then
you will do well
 Essay

You are expected to complete one essay of 2500-3000 words (excluding references and ToC)
for this term. This essay makes up a significant proportion of your mark and you are therefore
encouraged to work on it week by week. The final date for submission is 29 May 2023 17:00.

Essay topic
Read the article published in the Mail & Guardian called: Battle for the Zulu throne moves
back to court. https://mg.co.za/news/2022-09-14-battle-for-the-zulu-throne-moves-back-to-
court/ A copy of the article is also available on blackboard.
The article reports on a conflict within the AmaZulu Kingdom over who is the rightful
monarch. Prince Simakade ka Zwelithini approached the courts to declare him the rightful
monarch over his brother King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini
You will need to read a bit more about this conflict. Find other newspaper articles, reports etc
to help understand the conflict before you begin your essay.
Once you have a good grasp of what has taken place in this conflict, look at the rubric below
to decide which theories discussed in the lectures and tutorials will best apply to this conflict.
Once you have understood the topic, context and theories you can now do a search of the
academic literature. Choose additional academic texts that fit with your topic, not just general
books or textbooks.

NOTE
Importantly, you will get minimal marks if you only describe the theory from class or if you only
describe what happened in the conflict.
What we are looking for is your ability to apply theory to everyday life. This means that every
person’s essay will be different and will contain different choices of theory. That is a good thing as
it shows us you have applied your mind to the conflict you are analyzing. For example, one student
might use one theory of conflict escalation and another might chose a different one. By doing this
you are showing us you can select appropriate theories to explain conflict in the real world.
However, you should make sure you cover all the elements in the marking rubric below.
Remember this essay is the equivalent of an exam. So make sure you allocate sufficient time in your
schedule to complete it carefully
Your essay will be submitted and marked via blackboard
 Essay marking rubric

Section A: Content 80
1. Introduction 5
2. What are the conflict goals in the case study given? What is the level of conflict 15
and why?
3. How has this conflict escalated? If appropriate you can incorporate discussion 15
of social or print media in this section.
4. What are the sources of power that each group has? 15
What emotions are evident in this conflict? Describe the behavioural profile of the
emotions(s) you mention.

5. Describe the intervention that you would suggest and why you have chosen it 15
6. Discuss the possibility for apology, forgiveness and reconciliation. Is it possible 10
and what would it require?
7. Conclusion 5
Section B: Technical 20
1. Contents page (1) with page numbers (1), sub-headings (1), 3
2. Formulation and integration 5
3. Editing and general presentation 4
4. Reference list (1), 5 sources (1), technical correctness (2) 4

5. In-text reference techniques: all references have a date (1), all references in list 4
of sources (1), all references have page numbers (1), correct format of references
(author, date: page) (1)
Total: 100

Essay Tips
Make sure you read more about this conflict but remember that newspaper articles are
background information, not academic references. So don’t only use these kinds of sources.
Be brave enough to discuss your topic in tutorials – you will get feedback that will improve your
work.
Longer is not necessarily better. Be succinct but always include examples that show you
understand the theories you are discussing.
Edit carefully. Use the spell check and Grammarly to help you
Be sure to include at least 5 academic references in addition to those prescribed for this course
 Lecture Plan

Learning Outcomes
After you have completed this module, you should be able to
• Describe some of the ways that conflict has been defined in the academic literature;
• Understand how conflict escalates and apply this to everyday conflicts that you
experience;
• Describe the different orientations to conflict and identify these different orientations
when given a case study;
• Understand the role of emotion in conflict;
• Describe how power affects conflict and give examples from postcolonial contexts;
• Understand the different ways to intervene in conflict and choose the appropriate
intervention for different kinds of conflicts;
• Describe the role of apology, forgiveness and reconciliation in conflict giving examples
from different conflicts.

Apartheid museum South Africa

 Week 1: What is conflict? What is conflict studies?
[Week starting 11th April 2023]

At the end of this week you should be able to:

• Define conflict
• Identify different conflicts in your own life
• Understand the levels of analysis when thinking about conflict
• Apply the levels of analysis of conflict to postcolonial contexts
• Understand conflict as goals
• Understand different theoretical perspectives on conflict

Part 1:
Why study conflict
Definitions of conflict
Levels of analysis in the study of conflict
Conflict in post-colonial society

Part 2:
Goals in conflict
Attribution theory

Part 3:
Applications to everyday life

© Clacherty et al. Suitcase project: refugee children’s art project

 Week 2: How do conflicts escalate
[Week starting 17th April 2023]

At the end of this week you should be able to:

• Understand the communication styles that escalate and de-escalate conflict
• Understand the role of social media in escalating conflict
• Be able to give examples of conflicts that have escalated and analyse the escalation of
conflict in a case study
Part 1:
Communication techniques that escalate conflict
Part 2:
Social media and the escalation of conflict, Crowd behaviour and the escalation of conflict
Part 3:
Applications to everyday life (protest and Intimate Partner Violence as examples)

Week 3: Orientations to conflict and emotions in conflict

[ Week starting 24th April 2023]
After this week you should be able to:
• Describe the different orientations people have towards conflict
• Describe the different styles and tactics people use to handle conflict
• Understand the role that emotions play in how conflict is managed
• Using examples reflect on different conflicts you have experienced and the
orientations and emotions that were involved.

Part 1:
Orientations to conflict: win/lose; Both/And; Obliging or accommodation; Integrating or
collaborating; compromise.
Part 2:
The role that emotions lay in conflict; Working with emotions in conflict
Part 3:
Applying orientations and emotions to everyday life
 Week 4: Power in conflict
[Week starting 2nd May 2023]

After this unit you should be able to:

• Identify the different types of power and give examples
• Understand how power changes according to context
• Connect macro level and micro level conflicts by analysing power
• Describe positive and negative ways of dealing with power in conflicts

Part 1:
Revisiting levels of analysis as they apply to power
Understanding different kinds of power
Power as evolving

Part 2:
Balancing power
Challenging power

Part 3:
Applications to everyday life

"Peace is ours" in Bogota, Colombia AP Photo/Fernando Vergara

 Week 5: Intervening in conflict
[Week starting 1st May 2023]

After this unit you should be able to:

• Understand the difference between informal and formal interventions in conflict and
when each would be appropriate
• Understand the four main types of formal interventions and when each is appropriate

Part 1:
Informal interventions
Principles of informal
interventions
When is formal intervention
needed

Part 2 and 3:
A continuum of formal
interventions
Mediation
Negotiation
Arbitration
Adjudication

Genocide memorial Kigali, Rwanda

 Week 6: Apology, forgiveness and reconciliation
[Week starting 8th May 2023]

After this unit you should be able to:

• Understand what constitutes a meaningful
apology
• Describe the conditions for forgiveness to occur
• Describe the risks of not forgiving
• Understand when reconciliation is possible
• The different ways that reconciliation can take
place and why it sometimes fails

Graffitti in East London © unsplash.com

Week 7: Tying it all together

[Week starting 15th May 2023]

After this unit you should be able to:

• Describe comfortably the theories that have been discussed in previous lectures
• Apply each to an example of your own
• Use these theories to analyse a case study given in class

ooOOoo

*All images used in this study guide are open access or used with the permission of the copyright owner