Research Mini-Grant Program

CUNY DRC RESEARCH MINI-GRANT RECIPIENTS

A Compendium of Research Reports from completed Mini-Grant projects is available for sale from the CUNY DRC. Click here for more information

Recipients for 2003

Joan Hoffman

Environmental-Economic Conflict Resolution in the New York City Catskill Area Watershed

John Jay College

Abstract

There is a dispute over the impact of New York City’s innovative water protection program in the economy in the Catskill mountain area of the city’s upstate reservoirs. The program is path breaking in its combination of water quality regulations and economic incentives and creates a model for sustainable economic development. The purpose of this project is to gather and analyze the available data that would indicate what the trends have been in the Catskill mountain area of the watershed over the period of the agreement. The watershed is made up of part of five contiguous counties. This analysis would be extremely valuable in the clarification of the impact of the watershed program on the upstate economy. Economic trends within the watershed, in the watershed counties but outside the watershed, and in counties similar to watershed counties will be compared. The research will include the following: demographic, labor force, individual well being, business well being.

Monica Ciobanu

Legitimacy, Revolution and Democratic Consolidation in Eastern Europe: The Case of Romania in Comparative Perspective

John Jay College

Abstract

To assess the impact of the violent popular uprising that occurred in 1989 in Romania in shaping a democratic political culture characterized by the art of negotiation and compromise between political actors with divergent interests. In contrast to other European countries – Bulgaria, the former Czchoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland – where the emergent democratic forces and representatives of the communist parties reconciled their differences through round tables, the key sectors in Romania that remained loyal to the communist party and to Nicolae Ceausescu opposed democratic change with military force inhibiting from the beginning a peaceful transition to democracy. This is then a study of democratic consolidation, the main focus of which is democratic legitimacy.

Recipients for 2001-2002

David Brotherton

Culture Conflict and Social Adaptation: The Case of Deportees in the Dominican Republic

John Jay College

Abstract

According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, during the 1990's more than 15,000 Dominican legal residents were deported from the United States (“Hoy” 5/29/2002) with the majority first-generation immigrants coming from the New York City area (New York Dominican Consulate 2002). Currently, the Dominican National Police estimate that more than 16,000 deportees are on the country’s streets (El Caribe, 9/4/2002), with more than 9,500 having been expelled due to criminal involvement in the drugs trade. Based on life history interviews with a sample of forty deportees recruited from the streets and barrios of Santo Domingo, the proposed study will investigate the strategies of socio-economic and cultural adaptation focusing on the factors of rejection/acceptance experienced by Dominican deportees as they involuntarily return to their “homeland.”

Carl Mazza

Resolving Conflict in Re-Constituted Families As a Result of the Incorporation of a Recently Paroled Family Member

Lehman College

Abstract

The addition of an adult family member who has recently been released from prison seriously impacts on the homeostasis of his newly re-constituted family. While in prison, the incarcerated family member fantasizes about what family life will be like once he is paroled and rejoins his family. In the meantime, his family has learned to survive on their own. This project will examine the effects a recently released ex-offender has on his family. The objectives are to understand the differences in expectations between the incarcerated parent and his family prior to his release from prison; understand what areas of conflict cause particular stress in these newly re-constituted families; develop strategies to better prepare both the incarcerated parent and his family for the reality of issues concerning re-constitution.

Susan Will

New Opportunities to Resolve Fraser River Salmon Conflicts

John Jay College

Abstract

To achieve its goal of preserving and protecting the river’s salmon, the bi-lateral Fraser River Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission must manage not only conflicts between the Canadian and United States governments, but also between salmon dependent communities within the borders of the two countries. This project uses interview and field observations from a pilot study and secondary data to examine the intended and perceived impacts of fishing regulations and the regulatory regime of the Panel. Results will help identify positive steps taken by each country and the Panel, along with problems that need to be addressed.

Sondra Leftoff and Anne Buddenhagen
Navajo Peacemaking and The Peacemaker’s Place in Restorative Justice
John Jay College

Abstract
Navajo peacemaking is a traditional approach to resolving disputes that focuses on community discussion and working through of conflicts while addressing individual difficulties and needs with the help and guidance of a peacemaker. Drawing on the results of our pilot study, the proposed research focuses on two elements of Navajo peacemaking- the process of re-education of the disputants that occurs as a result of peacemaking and the role of the peacemakers within this as well as within the larger community. We propose to use a case study approach to address the former issue with observation of peacemaking sessions and follow-up interviews of participants and to use in-depth interviews of peacemakers to address the latter.

Mangai Natarajan
Dispute Resolution By Women Police In Tamil Nadu In Dealing With Dowry-Related Domestic Violence Cases
John Jay College

Abstract
Dowry giving is a customary practice in India, which results in many disputes between the young wives and their new families. The young women may be subjected to physical and mental ill treatment, sometimes resulting in death. Six years ago, the Tamil Nadu State government introduced new all-women police stations to assist dowry victims. However, previous research suggests that women police in Tamil Nadu have limited training in resolving domestic disputes and violence relating to dowry problems. The proposed study will examine the women police stations as a dispute processing system, and will study the services extended by the women police stations to women victims of dowry. Data will be collected from station records and interviews with dowry victims who have approached the women police stations in Madras/Chennai, the largest city in Tamil Nadu. The results of this study will assist in the design of a future study to explore the scope for training in dispute resolution for women police. It will also provide the basis for a cross-cultural comparison of dispute processing styles in handling domestic violence cases.

Carl Mazza
Resolving Conflict in Re-Constituted Families As a Result of the Incorporation of a Recently Paroled Family Member - Rewarded
Lehman College

Abstract
The addition of an adult family member who has recently been released from prison seriously impacts on the homeostasis of his newly re-constituted family. While in prison, the incarcerated family member fantasizes about what family life will be like once he is paroled and rejoins his family. In the meantime, his family has learned to survive on their own. This project will examine the effects a recently released ex-offender has on his family. The objectives are to understand the differences in expectations between the incarcerated parent and his family prior to his release from prison; understand what areas of conflict cause particular stress in these newly re-constituted families; develop strategies to better prepare both the incarcerated parent and his family for the reality of issues concerning re-constitution.

Avram Bornstein
Martyrdom in the Westbank
John Jay College

Abstract
Based on fieldwork in a Palestinian village in the West Bank, this study examines the multiple histories that embody and describe the causes and consequences of the killings of young Palestinian males since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that began in the fall of 2000. How are victims remembered, memorialized, and made into martyrs? What popular histories are made from these tragedies and how do such histories shape the inter-generational transmission of trauma and the possibilities of reconciliation?

David E. Brandt and Keith A. Markus
A Further Investigation of Adolescent Attitudes Toward the Police
John Jay College

Abstract
This project will collect and analyze data on adolescent attitudes toward the police (ATP). An existing questionnaire on ATP will be modified to improve statistical reliability as well as provide addition relevant information about participants. It is expected that the data collected will lend useful information to the existing body of knowledge on adolescent ATP and be of value in developing programs to improve adolescent-police relationships.

David Brotherton and Daniel Shaw
The Street Children of Cristo Rey: The Role of Church Based Empowerment Strategies to Reduce Urban Youth Conflict
John Jay College

Abstract
Working with church activists and street children in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, this project identifies and assesses the range of empowerment strategies employed by the church to reduce violence among youth, and between youth and local law enforcement.

David Brotherton
Education and Marginality Among New York City's Mexican Street Youth
John Jay College

Abstract
This ethnographic study on Mexican street gangs in New York City examines unusual phenomenon that differentiate this group from other organized Latino youths. Most Mexican street gang members are undocumented, and these gangs have a long history from Mexico as well as the Southern and Western United States. Mexican youth gangs tend to be less political and more drawn toward conflict-bound traditions of rituals and honor.

Marcia Esparza
In Their Own Hands: Post-War Violence in Guatemala, a Case Study
John Jay College

Abstract
This study examines enduring militarization in the highlands of Guatemala. Despite transitions into democratic regimes, cold-war ideology remains embedded in segments of the population as the use of force and lynchings in military enclaves nurtures the "culture of fear".

George Irish and Holger Henke, Caribbean Research Center
Relations between the Jewish and Caribbean American Communities in New York City: Perceptions, Conflict, and Cooperation
Medgar Evers College

Abstract
This research will utilize a series of interviews of members of the Jewish and Caribbean American communities in New York City in order to empirically assess the perceptions the groups have of each other and what kinds of conflict and cooperation patterns exist. Leaders and members of the communities will be the focus of the structured, personal interviews.

Sondra Leftoff and Anne Buddenhagen
Transforming Narratives: An Exploratory Study of Navajo Peacemaking
John Jay College

Abstract
This is an exploratory study that will examine the process of peacemaking in the Navajo community. The Navajo use a community based approach to resolve disputes and address criminal behavior. This project will explore how peacemaking works from the point of view of how individual narratives of discord come to be transformed and made more complete and coherent in the process. The goal of this project is to establish how individuals in conflict can make use of other’s views of their behavior in their attempt to resolve the situation and maintain their position in the community.

Elizabeth Bartels
Evaluation of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board Mediation Cases
CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Abstract
The objective of this study is to determine whether the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board’s mediation process has affected CCRB civilian complainants’ and subjected officers’ satisfaction with the CCRB process, civilian attitudes toward the New York City Police Department, and the subsequent number of civilian complaints filed against the subject officers.

Sue Keiser
Divorce Mediation Poses Difficulties for Men and Women
John Jay College

Abstract
This study examined the inherent difficulties in the divorce mediation process for both men and women. During the mediation process, men and women are expected to behave in ways that are counter to their societal gender roles. Thus, the process is problematic for both genders.

Recipients for 1999-2000

David E. Brandt
Adolescent Attitudes Towards the Police
John Jay College

Abstract
The attitudes towards the police (ATP) of a group of inner-city adolescents were investigated within the context of a program designed to teach dispute resolution skills and promote a dialogue with local police. ATP were measured using a 23-item questionnaire. The results indicated that while ATP were generally positive, girls held more positive ATP than boys and adolescents who reported negative experiences with the police had less favorable ATP. A confirmatory factor analysis of the questionnaire yielded three factors: attitudes toward police behavior; attitudes toward interaction with the police; and attitudes toward interaction with other adults. The results are in general agreement with earlier studies with other populations and have implications for programs designed to improve adolescent relationships with the police.

Angelica Domato
Framing Identity: The United Nations Mission in Western Sahara
John Jay College

Abstract
This study details the United Nation’s peace-keeping efforts in the conflict in Western Sahara between the government of Morocco and the guerilla group Polisario Front. The study specifically addresses the UN’s efforts to identify a voting population among the traditionally nomadic inhabitants of the region in order to allow them to vote on a referendum that will decide the future rule of the former Spanish colony.

Melanie Bush
Breaking the Code of Good Intentions: Everyday Forms of Whiteness
Brooklyn College

Abstract
This research will explore how whites understand their racialized identity and the impact it has on their life experiences. It will investigate the extent to which whites talk about and see race as playing a role in daily living. The particular community of Brooklyn College, which is generally reflective of the Brooklyn population and urban areas in the U.S., will be the research site. The project will examine the relationship of intention and consciousness to the perpetuation of racialized structures and patterns of social inequality, and explore the notion of “colorblindness”.

Janet Patti
Leadership Factors that Foster or Inhibit Implementation of Schoolwide Conflict Resolution
Hunter College

Abstract
This study is the third year of a study begun to explore the relationship between leadership style and behaviors and implementation of conflict resolution programs in elementary and secondary schools. It also attempts to evaluate schools that have been successful at achieving this goal in order to establish benchmarks for successful implementation.
Additionally, it will inform the field of the effects of leadership on implementation as well as other factors that emerge as essential indicators of successful implementation of schoolwide conflict resolution programs.

Susan Sanchirico
Locating the Fourth ‘R’: The Search for Conflict Resolution in the Social Work Curriculum
CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Abstract
Conflict resolution is a central theme of social work practice, yet there is a gap in the social work curriculum that addresses conflict from a social work perspective. This study will address this gap in the social work curriculum through a survey of Bachelor’s of Social Work (BSW) and Master’s of Social Work (MSW) programs accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) by determining how schools of social work address conflict resolution in their curriculum. The findings will have curriculum implications for the development of an elective course and/or identifying methods for infusing content into the existing curriculum.

Recipients for 1998-99

Lynne Hurdle-Price
Reflections on Mediation in the African American Community: Cultural Diversity and the Need for an Alternative Model
John Jay College

Abstract
This study focuses on the responses of African American to the current community and school mediation models used in New York State. It presents as a hypothesis that the model is based on European American values that do not always take into account the cultural values and norms of African Americans.

Carl Mazza
Resolving Conflict in Re-Constituted Families As a Result of the Incorporation of a Recently Paroled Family Member
Lehman College

Janet Patti
Leadership Strategies and Behaviors that Foster Effective and Sustainable Implementation of a school
Conflict Resolution Program
Hunter College

Abstract
Over more than a decade, conflict resolution principles, strategies and skills have been looked to as a method of curbing youth violence as well as to build community in schools. The school principle plays a crucial part in
facilitating school community building and establishing school culture. Employing a multiple case descriptive
study in six K-8 schools, it is the intent of this study to inform the field of school conflict resolution as to the
leadership strategies and behaviors that foster effective, sustainable implementation of the Resolving Conflict
Creatively Program in New York City schools.

Recipients for 1997-98

Luis Barrios
The Role of the Church in Resolving Conflicts Among Street Organizations in New York City.
John Jay College

Abstract
This project will explore the multiple roles and functions of the church as facilitator in the growth and development of New York City's street organizations. A particular emphasis will be placed on the role that the church plays in managing disputes between these organizations and the wider society. Using ethnographic methods, including qualitative interviews and field observations, this project will provide information about an area that is rarely discussed in either the gang or conflict resolution literature.

Donald Goodman
Moving From Isolation to Forgiveness: Mediating Victim and Offender in 2 New York State Correctional Facilities.
John Jay College

Abstract
This project will research the activities of a prison based program which locates, prepares, accompanies, and debriefs victims of violent crimes in dialogues with inmates at a maximum security prison and an alternative facility for DWI offenders. After completing the program, participants are interviewed one month later and again six months later. The object is to explore paths and contexts which can lead to forgiveness after having been involved in a serious violent crime.

Donna M. Nickitas
A Study of Conflict Resolution Styles, Coping Resources, and Power as Knowing Participation in Change of Nurse Executives/Nurse Managers.
Hunter College

Abstract
This study will examine the relationship between interpersonal conflict styles, coping resources, and power in health care organizational change. A convenience sample of nurse executives/nurse managers from national and regional health care organizations will be used. Pearson's product movement coefficient will be used to examine single order relationships between conflict style, coping resources, and power. Multiple regression will be used to determine if an integrating conflict style and higher coping resources will account for more of the variance of power than either integrating conflict style or coping resources alone. Other conflict resolution styles and lower coping resources will account for less variance of power when examined by multiple regression analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used to determine the relationship between each of the demographic variables and conflict style, coping resources, and power.

Jacqueline W. Ray
Study of a College-Community Collaboration of Dispute Resolution for Adolescents.
York College

Abstract
This study will examine the impact of participation as a mentor in a community based mediation program on career choices, and on personal and professional relationships. Since 1980, York College has collaborated with Community Mediation Services, a nonprofit agency, in developing and providing education and training to college students who serve as mentors for delinquent, PINS and at-risk youth. Assessments of the program's educational and training approaches will be conducted. Findings from this study will be used to revise the curriculum and share findings with others in academic and dispute resolution settings who are interested in alternative models.

Recipients for 1996-97

Nancy Benignus
Conflict Management and Resolution in Elementary Schools
CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Abstract
This research consists of observing and analyzing conflicts and violence in an elementary school to determine how children negotiate and/or create the violent and conflict situations in their environment. Furthermore, it will assess and evaluate a dual component conflict resolution program that is currently operating in the school; one component is a peace education curriculum and the other is peer mediation training for fifth and sixth graders who then mediate student conflicts. The research site is an alternative public school that has operated the aforementioned program for a number of years. Research through the school will provide a cross section of perspectives, from faculty and staff to students to parents. This project will ascertain these groups' attitudes toward violence and using mediation as a means of resolving conflicts. Results will be disseminated to professionals in the fields of dispute resolution, childhood education and child development, so that all three groups may benefit from the knowledge gleaned.

Recipients for 1995-96

Jill Bellinson
Application of Conflict Management Principles to Sibling Rivalry in Children
John Jay College

Abstract
Sibling rivalry is often thought to be ubiquitous in multi-child families, and an obstacle to healthy growth. It is a subject which involves the fields of conflict management, child development, and early education, but one in which knowledge from one field has not been used by the others. This project proposes to study the intersection of the fields of dispute resolution, education of young children, and child development; it will teach parents to use conflict management techniques with their children and measure the effects on sibling rivalry. Information about the outcome of the study will be disseminated to professionals in the fields of dispute resolution, childhood education and child development, so that all three groups may benefit from the knowledge gleaned.

Joanne Levine
Conflicted Helping: The Mediator Role in Discharge Planning and It's Relationship to Job Satisfaction and Burnout in Health Care Social Workers
CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Abstract
Social workers often play a pivotal role in mediating discharge planning conflicts which subjects them to considerable stress. The mediator role enacted by social workers is anticipated to remain important one as the climate lays fertile ground for conditions which give rise to disagreements in discharge planning. While attention has been given to disagreements in discharge planning, job satisfaction, burnout and to the mediator role in social work practice; there is a gap in the literature regarding how the mediator role of social workers in health care relates to burnout and job satisfaction. This proposed study will address this gap through a survey of a random sample of 500 medical/health care social workers with the findings related to a framework for future development of a training program in mediation for health care social workers.

Beth Spenciner Rosenthal
Reducing Interpersonal Conflict Among Inner-City Youth
York College

Abstract
The likelihood of interpersonal conflict is increased by high levels of generalized anger within a population. Interpersonal conflict, then, can be reduced by reducing the level of anger. Anger in inner-city youth is, in part, a product of exposure to community violence. It is thought that this effect of exposure to violence may be moderated by resiliency factors. Thus, interpersonal conflict among inner-city youth may be reduced by the presence of resiliency factors. The proposed project is an empirical study of exposure to community violence, resiliency factors, and anger among inner-city youth. The outcome will be a report integrating the empirical findings of the research and suggesting prophylactic and therapeutic interventions to reduce the level of anger, thereby reducing the likelihood of interpersonal conflict, among inner-city youth.

Nancy Ziehler, Maria Grace La Russo, and Dominick Carielli
An Exploratory Study of Interpersonal Conflict and Student Development
Queens College

Abstract
Italian American students represent the single largest European ancestral group attending The City University of New York. While a small body of research literature has profiled their demographic characteristics (Blumberg & Lavin, 1985; Castiglione, 1982; Krase, 1982) and psychoeducational concerns (Perrone, 1986), little is known about the nature of their interpersonal conflicts and possible adverse effects on the quality of their educational experience. The primary purpose of this project, therefore, is to explore and document perceptions of interpersonal conflict, self-reported by Italian American students, that impede educational adjustments and general satisfaction at CUNY. Based upon an interactionist perspective, which recognizes the influence of contextual factors on human development (Lerner, 1989), 15-25 student volunteers will be recruited to participate in semi-structured, in-depth interviews designed to identify and assess interpersonal conflicts. Interpersonal conflicts will be examined within the context of several key categories related to college life. These categories will include, but not be limited to: student-to-student, student-to-faculty, student-to-administrators, student-to-campus organizations, and student-to-institution. Data will be coded and analyzed according to qualitative methodological standards (Ely, 1993). Conflict coping strategies will be addressed in subsequent focus groups targeting specific issues that have emerged as a result of the data analysis.

Recipients for 1994-95

Charles Bahn
Retrospective Evaluations of Conflict Resolution Processes and Outcomes
John Jay College

Abstract
This study will obtain retrospective evaluations of dispute resolution of selected consumer disputes after a lapse of time that will allow for the cooling of emotions and an experience of practical consequences. It will help to identify those factors that contribute to a positive assessment of the resolutions and those that do not. There will also be an analysis of the relationship between positive or negative process assessments and positive or negative practical consequences.

Jill Bellinson & Bill Altham
A Study of the Applicability of Conflict Management Principles to Pre-school-age Children
John Jay College

Abstract
While dispute resolution has been studied in a wide variety of settings, the application of conflict management interventions to children has been largely limited to peer-group intervention training with middle-school-age and older children. Studies of children have not generally discussed dispute resolution. This study proposes to test the applicability of conflict management principles to pre-school-age children by training the teachers of these children in negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration skills, and measuring the children's reactions to frustration before and after their teachers are trained.

Teresa A. Booker
Using 'No' to Solve Conflicts: Terrorists Reactions to No-Concessions Policies
CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Abstract
This study is concerned with how often and under what circumstances political terrorists kill their hostages. It seeks to determine: 1) whether or not political terrorists kill their hostages if their demands are not met; 2) if the outcomes of a non-concession policy differs according to the type of terrorist incident that occurs; and 3) whether the amount of time spent with government officials results in decreased terrorists' demands. As a study of terrorist negotiations and the effects of different strategies on outcomes, it is an important example of dispute resolution on a large scale. Using Edward Mickolus' Terrorism in the 1980's: A Chronology of Events, Volume II, 1984-1987, selected political terrorist events (kidnapping, barricade and hostage seizure, skyjacking, and non-aerial transportation take-overs) that were met with no-concession policies will be identified and analyzed for statistical significance.

David Brotherton
Keeping the Peace in Schools: The Impact of Conflict Management Programs on Student Gang Members
John Jay College

Abstract
The 1991 National Crime Victimization Survey carried out by the U.S. Department of Justice reported that 15% of the nation's high school students had stated that gangs were present in their schools. In the inner city this figure rose to 25% and among Latino students it went event higher to 32%. While gangs in schools are not a recent phenomenon (Thrasher 1927), during the last decade they have become younger, more widespread, more resilient, more violent (Kodluboy and Evenrud 1993) and consistently produce effects to the detriment of a safe school climate (Hutchison and Kyle 1993). The proposed study will investigate the impact on the problematic behavior of student gang members of school-based conflict management policies in two New York City public high schools.

M. Herbert Danzger
The Long Term Impact of the Civil Rights Conflicts
Lehman College

Abstract
Did sit-ins, marches, demonstrations, or civil disobedience promote or hinder the achievement the goals of the civil rights movement? This research proposes to compare the situation of blacks in 1960 with their situation in 1980 in specific communities with different histories of conflict. Three outcomes will be examined: a) desegregation of schools, b) housing desegregation and c) black office holding and voting. An existing data bank on community conflict will be used to describe these conflicts.

John Dore
Shame and the Strategic Analysis of Conflict
Baruch College

Abstract
The purpose of this project is to explore the function of shame in conflictual encounters. The project has three objectives. The first is to explore the role of shame in two theories - recent work in psychoanalysis, and a more recent theory of discourse, called Dialogism. The second goal is methodological: to develop a typology for describing strategic moves in confrontations, with a focus on shaming practices. The third is practical: to apply the theoretical and methodological results to a specific model of conflict containment. The theoretical exploration will be a continuation of my basic research on interaction in terms of psychoanalytic, dialogical and affect theory. The design for achieving the other goals involves my participation in "rituals of conflict", which will be tape recorded and analyzed for strategic moves and shaming practices. The data analyses will then be used to evaluate a model of conflict containment based on ritual. The outcomes will be a clearer integration of psychological, social and linguistic contributions to conflict; some reliable methods for identifying verbal strategies of confrontation and its resolution; and a refined model for conducting ritual conflicts as a way of reducing violence.

Patricia Orsatti Evanoski
Dispute Resolution Teams vs. Individual Negotiators
Queensborough Community College

Abstract
This study is designed to investigate whether a dispute resolution team consisting of a student and a faculty/staff member is more successful in resolving disputes than a student or faculty/staff negotiator alone.

Ilsa M. Glazer
Intercultural Coalition Building: Human Rights, Civil Rights and Women's Status in Israel
Kingsborough Community College

Abstract
CUNY DRC funds are to be used for the initial phase of a longitudinal project to study the recent explosive growth of Jewish and Muslim women's self-help groups and egalitarian, multivocal, multicultural, international coalitions supporting these self-help groups in Israel. The longitudinal research will: 1. survey self-help groups and focus on the mission, structure, and functioning of selected groups; 2. analyze the dynamics of successful intercultural coalition building of culturally, ethnically, religiously and politically diverse self-help groups; 3. analyze the wider social context of civil and religious laws as they relate to conflicting conceptualizations of the human rights of women.

Tonya Gonnella Frichner
Native Peace Council: Alternative Dispute/Mediation Resolution Project
City College

Abstract
The Alliance is establishing a Native Peace Council.- Alternative Dispute Mediation Panel of Indian elders and leaders to provide mediators who can find creative, binding solutions to civil legal conflicts within the Native American community. The legal staff of the Alliance will provide professional training for elder/mediators by writing a training manual that teaches procedures, methods and standards. The development of the manual, containing a curriculum that satisfies both professional standards and sensitivity to Native culture and history, will then be distributed to Native communities around the country as a public service.

Kyu Sung Kim
Identification and Analysis of Conflict Resolution Programs of Korean American Organizations in the New York Metropolitan Area
Queensborough Community College

Abstract
The proposed project is to identify and analyze conflict resolution programs provided by Korean-American organizations in the New York metropolitan area based on a questionnaire survey. The outcomes of the project will be: (1) a listing of Korean-American dispute resolution programs in the New York metropolitan area with relevant information, and (2) a report based on comparative analysis of dispute resolution services by the participating organizations of the project.

Nancy Duke S. Lay and Elvira Tarr
An Investigation of Asian-Student Conflicts in the City University of New York and Possible Resolutions
City College and Brooklyn College

Abstract
The conflicts among Asian students and those between non-Asian and Asians are the subject of this study. An investigation into the sources of the problems will be identified by the distribution of a questionnaire which will provide information for research by a selected group of students. A handbook will then be prepared, based on the findings, which can be used by students as the basis for understanding the causes of conflict and will also provide material for discussion groups.

Natalie Sokoloff
Prisoner Empowerment Programs for Men and Women with a Focus on Conflict Resolution in Prison
John Jay College

Abstract
This research project will develop and publish a Prisoner Empowerment Program [PEP] Directory that highlights Conflict Resolution Programs in prisons in New York State. By consulting with volunteers in several programs, a questionnaire will be developed to describe these programs that will be sent to wardens and other prison personnel, social service personnel and PEP program directors and volunteers who come into the prison to work with inmates, and prisoners themselves where possible. This will create a much needed resource to help typically violent prisons find alternative methods to resolve often-times volatile conflicts among prisoners as well as between prisoners and correctional staff.