Moderating and Minimizing Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Moderating and Minimizing Conflict - Essay Example Conflict can be interpreted in two dimensions: the theorist’s perspective of the conflict and the environment where the conflict takes place (Strasser & Randolph, 2004, p.4). The environment may include conflict between individuals or families or nations. The conflict can also be inter-psychic in which the conscious mind and the unconscious mind conflict with each other. How the mediators interpret conflict and its resolution paves the way to their selection of an appropriate approach towards reconciliation. Mediator’s perspectives and how they look at the situation shapes the mediation approach and the resolution process. My conflict style is collaborative. I believe that communication is the best way to resolve a conflict (Cupach et al., 2010) at all levels: personal, cultural, political, organizational or international. I do not like asserting my viewpoints and perspectives on others; instead, I like to listen to other people’s beliefs and disbeliefs. This way , I give the other persosn the opportunity to make their points clear. I invite them to share their views with me. I do not want them to feel ignored or un-listened. This empowers them and at the end, this makes them respect the solution I come up with because they know that I have listened to them and have made them participate in the decision-making process. I will quote two examples from my personal life here. Once, my younger brother, Joe, started to hang out with his friends late night. He had made up a routine of coming home late night and this would upset my parents and I because we did not want him to do stuff none of his elders ever did. My parents are both authoritarians in their parenting style and they do not want to argue with kids. This even awoke more aggression in Joe because he knew that Mom and Dad were not going to understand him. One day, I called him and sat down with him. I started to communicate with him- something Mom and Dad had never did. I asked him what m ade him come home late and why he wanted to disobey and upset his parents. After listening to him, I told him the bad consequences that might happen if he constantly stayed absent from home till late night. And I got my results. He understood me. We figured a middle way out in which I gave him enough space about hanging out but made sure that he returns before 9 pm. At another day, I came across two of friends, Mike and Bob, fighting and yelling at each other. Mike said that Bob had stolen his notebook that he had prepared after one year’s efforts; while Bob said that he knew nothing about the notebook. The argument went so serious that both of them were ready to punch each other at faces. After much struggle, I cooled them down and made them sit at the desk and talk about the issue. First, I made Mike present his perspective and then I told Bob to clarify himself. I made them ‘talk’ to each other and listen to each other’s views. After about half an hour of real sound arguments, both of them resolved the issue. Mike was remembering that he had handed the notebook over to the professor one day and he had not returned that yet. Thus, the conclusion was that communication made him remember things that he was forgetting. On concluding note, I am very much pleased with my conflict style. I love collaborating and communicating

Multi Marriage Issue in Islam 'polygamy' Research Paper

Multi Marriage Issue in Islam 'polygamy' - Research Paper Example Polygamy is simply a legal and religious permission in Islam for men to marry four women at a time. Although this command is more like an option, but not an obligation to all Muslims. In Islam and other religions, polygamy has been established and valued as an important institution (Philips and Jones). Even, before the advent of Islam in the Arab countries, the concept of polygamy used to exist, but it was in its worst form particularly because of illiteracy, absence of social or civic sense, and status of women in the society. When Islam came to light in the Arab countries, a number of issues were resolved; one of the most important one was the status of women in the society and matters of multi-marriages. Islam has redeveloped the institution of marriage as it has allowed men to marry four women for the purpose of helping needy women (Philips and Jones). It has furthermore ordained men to give equal rights to women in every regard. This paper aims to discuss a crucial matter of pol ygamy within the context of Islamic way of lifestyle elaboration and guidelines of Prophet Mohammad PBUH, the messenger of God. Additionally, we shall also spotlight the status of women before and after Islam, their rights, and orders sent by God in Quranic verses regarding welfare of widows, needy and divorced women. The role of Muslim men is to protect the rights of women by following obligations of God. Polygamy Before and After: A Historical Reference The status of women before and after Islam is entirely different, and it also varies in several Muslim states. Differentiation in the status of women in Islam interprets laws and religious teachings of Islam in different manners. Historic data about Islamic teachings and status of women in the Arab countries reveals that before the advent of Islam women were highly devalued in societies. Attitude of men towards women was extremely negative as women had no dignity, position or honor in the society. Prior to Islam, the status of wome n was sighted as nothing, but a household good. Women, before the advent of Islam were treated as animal and bought and sold like any other non-living item (Khan). On the contrary, it can be said that some women who belonged to the noble tribes and valuable families of Arab had respect and dignity in the society up to some extent, unlike ordinary women. For instance, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, who was the daughter of Khuwaylid ibn Asad belonged to the famous and most powerful tribe of Banu Quraish. Khadija had gained respect in the society mainly because of her strong family background as her father was a successful businessman and powerful merchant of that time and Khadija inherited all wealth and dignity from her father (Haylamaz). But, such respect and value in the society was limited to only few women of strong and powerful tribes, who used to have control over different localities in the Arab land. Whereas, overall criterion was that women was considered as a hateful object, birth of a girl in any family was considered as a curse and people used to bury their daughters alive after birth. On such cruelty, God criticized and stated in Quran, "When news is brought to one of them, of the birth of a female child, his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With the shame does he hide himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain her on (sufferance) and contempt, or bury her in the dust? Ah! What an evil choice they decide on?"