Topic Selection for Individual Speech Presentation

Review this week's lecture. Think about a communication topic that you would like to learn more about. Look at the Table of Contents in your textbook for more ideas. E-mail your instructor early in the week to obtain speech topic approval for an informative or persuasive speech. Research your topic and create a good thesis statement. Write at least three sentences for the main ideas concerning your topic. You will continue with this next week. Nothing is due yet in the Dropbox for your speech. Presentations are due in Week 6.

Note: Notify your instructor now by e-mail if you do not understand how to choose a speech topic.

Assignment: Conflict Analysis

Conflict Analysis Part 1: Observe an instance that you are not personally involved with where conflict is present (you will need to be a bit of a covert operator to accomplish this). Answer the following:

In several detailed paragraphs, describe the conflict scene.

a. Who was involved in the conflict? What was the relationship between the participants prior to the conflict? Did it appear as if the relationship between the participants had any impact on how either person responded to the conflict?

b. When and where did it take place? Was it formal or informal? Planned or unplanned? What impact did the location and time have on the outcome?

c. What transpired? (Be specific.)

Many times when we face conflict, there is a surface-level problem and an underlying problem. The surface-level problem acts only as a symptom of the real problem. Consider both.

d. What was the surface problem?

e. What was the underlying problem, or the real problem? If this is unclear, what might you speculate the real problem to be?

There are many conflict management strategies that can be employed when dealing with conflict. Consider which were present in this conflict.

f. Which conflict management strategies were employed by each of the participants? Did the conflict management strategies change during the course of the conversation? How do you know?

g. What was the outcome? Was there a winner? A loser? Did there appear to be an impact on the relationship? If so, what was that impact?

h. Looking back, describe at least two variables that could be changed in this scene to alter the outcome.

Conflict Analysis Part 2: Much of the learning in this course requires you to draw conclusions about your experiences and observations based on the concepts we have read about and discussed. Take this into consideration:

1. List two specific things you learned about conflict as a result of this exercise. Reference material from the text, discussions, lecture, terminal course objectives, and so forth. Answers that demonstrate application of the course material and effective critical thinking will earn the greatest number of points.