I hadn’t planned on it, but yesterday the discussion in my undergrad conflict resolution techniques & practice class veered over into using the Georgetown living wage hunger strike as a case study.
I’m covering narrative approaches to conflict resolution, which is essentially rethinking how conflict resolution is done with an eye toward applying postmodern and social constructionist theory. And as it turns out, the Georgetown conflict makes for a great conflict to highlight the differences between a traditional “rational problem solving” approach to conflict resolution and the narrative approach:
Do we look at this as just another collective bargaining scenario, where what’s at play are divergent salary demands, and what’s needed are mutually acceptable compromise options?
Or do we look at this as a social negotiation about the university’s culture? We once had discourses–role relationships–around ’student,’ ‘faculty,’ ’staff, ‘alumni,’ etc. that was something different than just that of clients, management, and employees. Is that still the case? When we look at what’s ‘fair,’ and ‘right,’ and ’sensible’ at Georgetown–at any university–are we talking about defining “fair” as “what the market will accept”, or are there other values at play?
The reality is that both sorts of negotiations are going on, whether the parties involved are directly aware and acknowledging of it or not. Right now it sounds as if negotiations are going on with university and protest leaders, which can be a good start at getting at the collective bargaining aspect of the conflict. That’s constructive and important. What’s missing is a wider set of dialogues for the entire campus community to talk about the changes and negotiations going on around university culture. I’m sure that’s happening informally, in the day-to-day micro-interactions that usually are the bread and butter of cultural negotiation and change. But a more deliberate effort to host dialogues on the conflict’s implications for Georgetown’s culture and values would also help.
If you click on “more,”, I’ve included the follow-up message I sent out to my class, which has some links and resources on the conflict.
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