Take Aways

Effective Conflict Resolution

  • Hanson Professional Services created a comprehensive website and made all information regarding the project accessible
  • Negotiated different project designs and options
  • Considered and implemented a plan to create job training programs for youth
  • Followed all federal regulations in terms of Environmental Impact Study, and land acquisition process
  • Created and implemented avenues for community feedback

Is there room for improvement? Suggestions?

  • Implement a community level stakeholder group prior to deciding on a project and project design
  • Practice holism and cultural relativity when designing the project
  • More sensitive to minority groups in regards to their immediate and long term needs
    • Gain emic perspectives before decisions are made and processes are rolling
      • The most effective and holistic way of gaining emic perspective is via ethnographic interviews or participant observation
  • Solicit more minority participation
  • Conduct all hearings, public presentations, and meetings with an open response format to increase community dialogue
  • Be more sensitive to the needs of those that will be displaced as a result of the project
  • Consider securing all funding for land acquisition before starting the process so that people do not have to feel “in limbo” in reference to the status of their property
  • Create more awareness surrounding the topic

Take aways for future projects?

Even when there is a very great attempt to avoid and resolve conflict, there will always be remaining issues to address or someone’s voice that was not heard. Keeping this in mind we should place a higher value on stakeholder participation at the decision making level. In addition to this, efforts should be made to construct preliminary conflict response plans. If an unexpected conflict arises, or more people are even more unsatisfied than anticipated, how will we go about resolving the issues in a holistic manner? How will we make sure that minority groups cease to be under represented and marginalized? What is the plan to make all people feel like their voices are worth being heard?

 

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Citation

Manthei, Jennifer. 2017. “The Anthropological Toolkit.” Handout for SOA 302 Understanding Cultures. University of Illinois Springfield.

 

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