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Readings are assigned for most class meetings, which you are expected to have read and thought about before we meet. This allows us to discuss the texts rather than merely review their contents. Hence, you must do more than merely peruse the readings: you must endeavor to understand what they are trying to convey.

Required readings come from the textbooks and additional materials posted on the class schedule, which are covered according to that schedule. Some days may also have optional materials. These help enrich, or otherwise supplement, the required readings. I may allude to optional material during our class meetings, but I will not punish you for not reading them.

I encourage you to print and bring the readings to class. This will make it easy for you to mark important passages and add notes of your own.

I should also emphasize that this material is not like reading a novel or a textbook. There will be times when you must read slowly and carefully. You may have to stop and think about things; and you should be prepared to go back and reread important sections. I also suggest that you take notes while you read, so that you can remember the text’s main points. Finally, feel free to bring any questions you may have about the reading to class.

Reading Questions

To assist you in this process, I have posted reading questions on the class schedule. These questions highlight the concepts that will frame our class discussions. They also help you check your understanding of the main claims about negotiation and conflict resolution from the readings, while asking you to think about how all this material applies to your own experiences.

I suggest also printing out these questions and bringing them to class. That way you can be sure to see how they are addressed during class and make any additional notes about them as needed.

Do the required reading using the posted reading questions before class, and come prepared for some lively conversation!