HU Credits: 4

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: Conflict Management & Resolution

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr. Maya Kahanoff

Coordinator Email: Maya.Kahanoff@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: Monday By appointment

Teaching Staff:
Dr. Maya Kahanoff

Course/Module description:
The course will focus on the psychological and emotional aspects of prolonged social and ethno-national conflict, under the premise that beneath the external and declared positions of the sides to the conflict, there are unconscious emotional processes that, among other factors, escalate the socio-political ideological conflict.
The course combines theoretical and an experiential learning workshop that enables in-depth exploration of these aspects. We examine the possibility of genuine dialogue in a state of existential conflict and the development of mutual recognition between members of groups in conflict in divided societies.
The experience will be accompanied by analysis and conceptualization with the help of theoretical articles from the fields of social psychology, the study of conflicts, multiculturalism and diversity, and the philosophy and practice of dialogue.

Course/Module aims:

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Students will experience first- hand and learn about the emotional processes taking place in prolonged social conflicts and their deep influence on conflict resolution and reconciliation; - Students will deepen their analytical understanding of the psychodynamics of conflicts and - Students will develop dialogical capabilities/ skills for intervening in inter-group conflict

Attendance requirements(%):
full attendacne and active participation

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: experientail learning by participation in a workshop

Course/Module Content:
- Identity, Otherness, Dialogue
- Psychological and emotional dimensions of prolonged social conflicts
-Dialogical philosophy
- Dialogue and Recognition
- Experiencing dialogue in inter-group conflicts in the Israeli society.
- Agonistic dialogue in diverse and split societies
Development of dialogic skills
- Students presentations

Required Reading:
Erlich, S. (1994). “On discourse with the enemy: A Psychoanalytical erspective”, Palestine- Israel Journal, no.4, pp.8-16


Bar-Tal, D. (2014) Intractable Conflicts: Socio-Psychological Foundations and Dynamics. New York: Cambridge University Press (147-212; 247-262).

Buber, M. (1970) I and Thou. Translated by Walter Kaufman, New York: Charles Scribner's sons
Bohm, D. (2004) On Dialogue

Taylor, C. (1994) Politics of Recognition, American University

Gurevitch, Z (1989) “The power of not understanding: The meeting of conflicting identities”, The Journal of Applied behavioral science, 25 (2), 161-173

Maoz, I. (2000) Contact in protracted asymmetrical conflict: Twenty years of planned encounters between Israeli Jews and Palestinians", Journal of Peace Research

Kahanoff, M. (2016) Jews and Arabs in Israel Encountering their Identities: ransformations in Dialogue. USA: Lexington Books.

Zigenlaub, E. & Sagy, S. (2020) "Encountering the narrative of the "other": comparing two types of dialogue groups of Jews and Arabs in Israel", Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, vol. 26, No.1 88-91

Maddison Sara (2014) “Relational transformation and agonistic dialogue in divided societies”, Political Studies, pp. 1-17

לסרי, ד. (2008) "אקדמיה דיאלוגית: היבטים בתנועתה של חוכמה יוצרת", בתוך: נ. אלוני (עורך), דיאלוגים מעצימים בחינוך ההומניסטי, הוצאת הקיבוץ המאוחד

Additional Reading Material:
articles dealing with collective trauma and its effects on intergroup conflict and dialogue:
Volkan, V. (1997) Blood Lines- especially Chosen Trauma;

Kahanoff, M (2017) Collective trauma, Recognition and Reconciliation in The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, in: P. Rayman &Y. Meital (Eds.), Recognition: Transitions to Democracy, USA: Brill Press

Grading Scheme :
Essay / Project / Final Assignment / Home Exam / Referat 70 %
Active Participation / Team Assignment 10 %
Submission assignments during the semester: Exercises / Essays / Audits / Reports / Forum / Simulation / others 20 %

Additional information:
Course requirements: Attendance at all meetings is mandatory; Active participation and journaling (10%) Presenting a topic in class (20%) Submitting a thesis at the end of the course (70%)