Critical Thinking and Conflict Resolution in a Political Youth Setting

Abstract

Some circles have wondered if some of the recorded conflicts in Zimbabwe might not have been either averted or stopped had appropriate approaches and attitudes been adopted at various levels. Against this background, the study explores the place, feasibility and role of critical thinking in conflict resolution with particular focus on political youth setting in Zimbabwe. A qualitative online research was conducted with 44 youth drawn from Harare. The survey had questions about the youth’s understanding of critical thinking, respective application and its impact in conflict resolution processes. The study also analysed 10 selected court case verdicts drawn from the Zimbabwe courts between 1988 and 2015. The cases were selected because they relate to cases where the accused could have applied some critical thinking skills. To analyse data, SPSS was complimented with Narrative Content Analysis. The study was guided by the concept of reason and logic as enshrined in critical thinking. The study established that critical thinking is a new phenomenon yet to be appreciated by most youth. However, wherever applied, the phenomenon has helped ease the process and situation and helped analyse surrounding fundamentals.