Think of a time when a simple disagreement escalated to a conflict. What happened? Why did it escalate? What could you have done to prevent it? Think of people you are in relationships that have a difference of opinion with you about something important in your life (politics, religion, etc.). how do you maintain good relationships with them without engaging in conflict? What tools can you use in the future to help you have better relationships with people in your life who have diversity of perspective?

2. People generally handle conflict in one of the following five ways: avoidance, accommodation, competition, reactivity or collaboration (Lulofs & Cahn, 2000). Avoidance: ignoring the conflict Accommodation: abandoning your own goals and agreeing with the desires of the other person Competition: an open and clear discussion without regard to others Reactivity: accusations of mistrust, yelling, crying or becoming verbally or physically abusive Collaboration: treating conflict as a problem-solving challenge Conflict is often the plot in recent television comedies likeNew Girl,Modern Familyand classics likeSeinfeldandFriends. Analyze a conflict depicted in one of your favorite television shows. Describe the scenario involved and describe specific strategies the characters used to address conflict. What was constructive or destructive in the conflict? How could the characters have improved the situation?