{"id":785,"date":"2014-04-22T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/?p=785"},"modified":"2014-04-29T12:35:34","modified_gmt":"2014-04-29T16:35:34","slug":"case-studies-around-the-university-appreciating-identity-through-religious-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2014\/04\/22\/case-studies-around-the-university-appreciating-identity-through-religious-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"Case Studies around the University: Appreciating Identity through Religious Conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A case-based General Education course at Harvard College studies religious conflict in the unlikeliest of places: our own backyards. Launched in fall 2007, Professor Diana Eck\u2019s \u201cThe World\u2019s Religions in Multicultural America: Case Studies in Religious Pluralism\u201d shatters the illusion that freedom of religion in America brings harmonious coexistence\u2014instead, this freedom has put religions in direct contact, conversation, and conflict. Professor Eck\u2019s class uses the case study method to fulfill a primary goal of the required undergraduate curriculum: \u201cnot to draw students into a discipline, but to bring the disciplines into students’ lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pluralism Project<\/a> at Harvard University, a research and resource-sharing venture in religious diversity founded and directed by Eck, developed these case studies<\/a> organized by \u201cSites of Encounter\u201d: schools and universities, city halls, suburbs, workplaces, and memorials. The selected problems were either nationally provocative, such as the \u201cMosque at Ground Zero\u201d; locally consequential, as when the city of Cambridge considered adding the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha to its school calendar; or internationally relevant, like the domestic traces of Middle Eastern conflict between Jews and Muslims.<\/p>\n

I took this course in fall 2011; it was my first introduction to the case study method. The class centered on written and verbal discussion, and each student was encouraged to share their personal religious perspective. The diversity came alive in the classroom, proof that the lessons were widely applicable. Now, working at Harvard Law School, I imagine these case studies could be spun to teach future lawyers and leaders to interpret anti-discrimination law, negotiate and mediate faith-based controversy, advise local governments, and make fair and informed decisions on behalf of a diverse constituency.<\/p>\n

\u201cDriven by Faith or Customer Service? Muslim Taxi Drivers at the MSP Airport\u201d asked us to articulate deeper, unspoken issues and to consider the risks of action and inaction in intractable conflicts. Other case studies required us to respond effectively to propaganda and religious rhetoric\u2014rather than trying to change or dismiss certain viewpoints we considered inflammatory or incorrect, we had to legitimize every opinion and change our responses<\/em>.<\/p>\n

There were no exams to prove oneself as righteous or superior; it would have undermined the very point of the course. Rather, Professor Eck gave real attention to cultivating reflective, empathetic minds.<\/p>\n

For the final project, each student wrote a contemporary case study about religious conflict\u2014we were able to identify nascent crises around us, inhabit another\u2019s perspective, and apply our problem solving skills to a novel situation.<\/p>\n

Three years later, I don\u2019t remember the names of every case study\u2019s protagonist or all of the discussion questions asked, but I find myself approaching conflict with a greater appreciation of individual identity. So rarely in conflict do we value interpersonal skills to the extent we do strategy or power. Only by participating in these conflicts myself could I learn that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A case-based General Education course at Harvard College studies religious conflict in the unlikeliest of places: our own backyards. Launched in fall 2007, Professor Diana Eck\u2019s \u201cThe World\u2019s Religions in Multicultural America: Case Studies in Religious Pluralism\u201d shatters the illusion … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5482,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[88580],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-case-study-program-blog-posts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4CR8M-cF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":336,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2013\/05\/22\/between-a-rock-and-a-very-hard-place-leadership-in-international-conflict\/","url_meta":{"origin":785,"position":0},"title":"Between a Rock and a Very Hard Place: Leadership in International Conflict","author":"Lisa Brem","date":"May 22, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"New Product: Reputation, Credibility, and the Goldstone Report by Amanda Reilly, Lisa Brem, and Elizabeth Moroney When the United Nations published the Goldstone Report assessing the 2008 Israeli military strike in Gaza, it (and its main author, Jewish South African jurist Richard Goldstone) received a barrage\u2014a landslide\u2014a torrent\u2014of criticism. Certainly,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Study Program Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Case Study Program Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/case-study-program-blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2013\/05\/800px-P10107961-500x351.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":724,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2014\/03\/18\/case-studies-in-cyber-citizenship\/","url_meta":{"origin":785,"position":1},"title":"Case Studies in Cyber-Citizenship","author":"Elizabeth Moroney","date":"March 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Professor Charles Nesson\u2019s course fosters innovation in law and technology \u201cThink of what we are doing as re-designing the Ames [Moot Court] Competition, producing an Ames Competition in Cyberspace,\u201d Professor Charles Nesson said to his students. \u00a0Skillful judgment, innovation, and active participation governed Nesson\u2019s fall 2013 course \u201cInternet & Society:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Problem Solving Workshop Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Problem Solving Workshop Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/problem-solving-workshop-blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2014\/03\/1280px-2013_Brazilian_protests-500x359.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":239,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2013\/03\/14\/professor-john-coates-legal-start-up-case-studies-inspire-students\/","url_meta":{"origin":785,"position":2},"title":"Professor John Coates’ Legal Start-Up Case Studies Inspire Students","author":"Lisa Brem","date":"March 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Rachel Gibson \u201cI want to inspire students to start organizations and conquer the world.\u201d \u2013 HLS Professor John Coates Professor John Coates, a regular contributor to the Case Development Initiative\u2019s catalogue, is developing a module of three case study series that highlight the challenges of starting new legal organizations.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Development Initiative Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Case Development Initiative Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/case-development-initiative-blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2013\/03\/11-8-11Coates048-500x333.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":804,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2014\/05\/06\/case-studies-around-the-university-training-med-students-to-negotiate-acceptable-health-outcomes\/","url_meta":{"origin":785,"position":3},"title":"Case Studies around the University: Training Med Students to Negotiate Acceptable Health Outcomes","author":"Elizabeth Moroney","date":"May 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, we discussed the origins of case-based learning at Harvard Medical School, a curriculum that teaches medical students a new methodology: how to learn what they don\u2019t know. In 2001, HMS turned to case studies to address another gap in the medical curriculum: culturally competent care. 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Yet over time, the institution\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Legal News and Debate"","block_context":{"text":"Legal News and Debate","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/legal-news-and-debate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"juryx_608x211_0212","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2015\/03\/juryx_608x211_0212-500x173.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1200,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2017\/03\/16\/using-case-study-method-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":785,"position":5},"title":"Why and How: Using the Case Study Method in the Law Classroom","author":"Lisa Brem","date":"March 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo by: Brooks Kraft Post by: Jackie Kim and Lisa Brem Why should legal educators use case studies and other experiential teaching methods, such as role plays and simulations, in their classes?\u00a0 Hasn\u2019t the Langdell method served legal education well these last 140 years?\u00a0 Certainly creating and using experiential materials\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"person walking by langdell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2017\/03\/2237550-R6-019-8-1024x659.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2017\/03\/2237550-R6-019-8-1024x659.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2017\/03\/2237550-R6-019-8-1024x659.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=785"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":801,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785\/revisions\/801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}