ICCCR Research Activities
2008-2009
The ICCCR is committed to developing knowledge and practice to promote constructive conflict resolution, effective cooperation, and social justice. Our theory development and research focuses on developing and testing new insights into the dynamics of fostering and sustaining constructive change in complex systems that evidence enduring patterns of destructive conflict, violence and oppression. Building on the foundational scholarship of Kurt Lewin and Morton Deutsch, we seek to continue to be an internationally recognized theory/practice center known for innovation and integration in our theory and research. We plan to continually link our research activities to current problems within a real world context, and to communicate important research findings to both scholarly and lay-audiences, as well as to leaders and decision-makers through policy papers.
Our work involves:

A Lewinian Research Paradigm (Dynamical-Systems Theory): emphasizing the importance of sound theory, beginning analyses with total systems but identifying the essence of the phenomenon, dynamic forces, and action-research.
 
Multiple methodologies: Qualitative, experimental, longitudinal survey, and computer simulations.

Research & Theory Objectives

Our theory development and research focuses on developing and testing new insights into the dynamics of fostering and sustaining constructive change in complex systems that evidence enduring patterns of destructive conflict, violence and oppression. Building on the foundational scholarship of Kurt Lewin and Morton Deutsch, we seek to continue to be an internationally recognized theory/practice center known for innovation and integration in our theory and research. We plan to continually link our research activities to current problems within a real world context, and to communicate important research findings to both scholarly and lay-audiences, as well as to leaders and decision-makers through policy papers.

Our new initiatives include:

> Establishing a Ph.D. Fellowship cohort for the study of conflict, justice and complexity through an inter-university consortium with Florida Atlantic University and Warsaw University.

> Enhancing our infrastructure to conduct laboratory, survey, simulation, and field research.

> Holding an APA conference on conflict, justice, and complex systems at Teachers College.

> Establishing visiting scholar opportunities for scholar-practitioners working in relevant areas.

> Convening a quarterly New York City invitational seminar on conflict, justice, and change: emerging trends.

> Establishing case-based theory-practice sessions where top-practitioners present complex cases for analysis and discussion.

> Supporting student-based gatherings and brown-bag luncheons.

> Publishing all works-in-progress on ICCCR website and then subsequently in top-tier journals, handbooks, etc.