Engaging Communication in Conflict : Systemic Practice

by Stephen W. Littlejohn

• ISBN13: 9780761921875
• ISBN10: 0761921877
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-08-30
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc

Summary

Written from the authors' experience in conflict intervention in their private consulting practice, Engaging Communication in Conflict uses a communication perspective to address insights and methods in private mediation, small group facilitation, system design, large-scale interventions, and public-issue management. This book offers encouragement for a world sometimes overwhelmed by conflict and presents an expanded and pragmatic definition of peace.Stephen Littlejohn and Kathy Domenici discuss numerous methods and principles in conflict resolution. They explore transformative mediation, the team mediation system, assessment and evaluation, systemic design, gaming methodology, issue framing and public deliberation, study circles, dialogue groups, and many other interventions. These methods and principles are adapted from a spectrum of theory and practice and include fresh and innovative approaches designed by the authors and their colleagues.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
PART I: Basic Commitments
Constructing Conflict	3	(22)
How Conflicts Are Made	3	(6)
Talking About Difference	4	(1)
Why Talk Matters	5	(1)
Our Conflict Worlds	6	(1)
Living With It: The World of Avoidance	6	(1)
Working It Out: The World of Negotiation	7	(1)
Expanding the Conversation by Intervention	7	(1)
Going to Battle: The World of Litigation	7	(2)
Going to War: The World of Violence	9	(1)
A Conversation of Opportunity	9	(5)
Finding New Ways of Exploring Differences	11	(1)
Building Relationships	12	(1)
Creating Positive Futures	13	(1)
The Communication Perspective	14	(9)
Communication Is More Than a Tool	14	(2)
Thinking Systemically	16	(7)
Toward an Ethic of Conflict Management	23	(1)
Resources You Can Use	24	(1)
Dialogue	25	(30)
What Is Dialogue?	25	(8)
Dialogue Honors Relationships	26	(2)
Risk and Safety in Dialogue	28	(5)
Dialogue as a Constructive Conversation	33	(15)
Treating People Like People	33	(1)
Taking Time to Explore	34	(1)
Taking Turns at Listening	35	(3)
Asking Questions	38	(6)
Speaking Dialogically	44	(2)
Being Profoundly Open	46	(2)
Outcomes of Dialogue in Conflict Management	48	(2)
Discovering the Heart of the Matter	48	(1)
Building Respect	49	(1)
Defusing Polarization	49	(1)
Building a Context for Collaboration	50	(1)
Using Dialogue Creatively	50	(1)
Resources You Can Use	51	(4)
PART II: Conflict in Small Systems
Mediating Private Disputes	55	(34)
Entering the System: Communication Goals	56	(3)
Thinking Relationally About Mediation	59	(3)
Mediation as Collaborative Communication	62	(6)
Introducing Mediation	64	(2)
Caucuses	66	(1)
Mediation: Hard or Soft	67	(1)
Thinking Systemically About Mediation	68	(6)
Working With Stories	68	(2)
Some Common Metastories of Mediation	70	(1)
The negative story of confusion and the positive story of empowerment	70	(1)
The negative story of disrespect and the positive story of recognition	71	(1)
The negative story of blame and the positive story of respect	71	(1)
The negative story of competition and the positive story of cooperation	71	(1)
The negative story of ``being stuck'' and the positive story of ``moving forward''	72	(1)
The negative story of disorganization and the positive story of order	72	(1)
The negative story of indecision and the positive story of commitment	73	(1)
The negative story of rage and the positive story of passion	73	(1)
Working in Mediation: The Construction Triangle	74	(1)
Building Empowerment and Recognition	74	(7)
Helping People Talk So Others Will Listen	76	(3)
Helping People Listen So Others Will Talk	79	(2)
Building Community Consciousness	81	(4)
Raising Awareness of Connections	82	(1)
Constructing Community Through Appreciative Inquiry	83	(2)
Building Commitment	85	(2)
Issue Framing	85	(1)
Deliberation	86	(1)
Resources You Can Use	87	(2)
Working With Groups and Teams	89	(32)
The Team Concept	89	(2)
Mediation and Teams	91	(3)
The Team Mediation System (TMS)	93	(1)
Creating an Environment for the Team Mediation System	94	(10)
Safe Environment	94	(2)
Collaborative Communication	96	(1)
Power Management	97	(1)
Process Management	98	(3)
Facework	101	(3)
Putting the Team Mediation System to Work	104	(14)
Listening	105	(3)
Acknowledging	108	(4)
Responding	112	(1)
Committing	113	(5)
Resources You Can Use	118	(3)
PART III: Moving to More Complex Systems
Constructing Conflict Management Systems	121	(26)
Some Basic Approaches to System Design	122	(3)
A Systems Approach to Design	125	(4)
System Principles	125	(2)
Establishing a Systemic Mediation System: The Case of Advanced Micro Devices	127	(2)
Revisiting the Five Characteristics of Constructive Conflict Management	129	(17)
Collaboration	130	(1)
Power Management	130	(1)
Process Management	131	(2)
Face Management	133	(2)
Safe Environment	135	(1)
Five Characteristics in Action: Working in Argentina	136	(4)
A System in Formation	140	(6)
Resources You Can Use	146	(1)
Large-Scale Interventions	147	(21)
A Gaming Metaphor	149	(4)
Games and Communication	150	(2)
Prosperity Games	152	(1)
How Prosperity Games™ Work	153	(13)
Designing a Game	154	(4)
Levels of Game Play	158	(1)
Playing a Prosperity Game™	159	(3)
Evaluation	162	(1)
Other Prosperity Games™	163	(3)
Beyond Prosperity Games™: Advancing the Communication Perspective	166	(1)
Resources You Can Use	167	(1)
Working With Public Issues	168	(29)
Camping Up and Striking Out	169	(2)
Community as System	171	(2)
Safety and Appreciation	173	(10)
Constructing Safe Environments	173	(8)
The Appreciative Turn	181	(2)
Making Spaces for Constructive Public Conversation	183	(11)
Gaining Ownership: Collaborative Issue Framing	183	(2)
Avoiding the Commonplace: Creative Public Meetings	185	(3)
Giving Careful Consideration: Public Deliberation	188	(1)
Getting Personal: Study Circles and Dialogue Groups	189	(2)
Building Capacity: Public Training Events	191	(3)
Resources You Can Use	194	(3)
PART IV: Toward Better Social Worlds
A Conversation With Friends	197	(16)
Expanding the Conversation	201	(10)
On Self-Insight	201	(1)
On Self-Trust	202	(1)
On Self and Other	203	(1)
On Coherence	204	(1)
On Human Potential	205	(1)
On Ordinary Experience	206	(1)
On Language and Action	207	(1)
On Democracy	208	(1)
On Time	209	(1)
On Openness	210	(1)
Joining the Conversation	211	(2)
Appendix Principled Practice: On Theory-Based Intervention	213	(16)
Bibliography	229	(4)
Index	233	(6)
About the Authors	239