Transforming Conflict and Building Peace: Community Engagement Strategies for Communication Scholarship and Practice

This inaugural volume in the Peter Lang Conflict and Peace series explores the tensions between communication principles and theories and their application in conflict transformation and peacebuilding. It highlights the contributions of engaged scholarship to theorizing and practice, while also addressing challenges in designing and implementing techniques and practices. The volume emphasizes the communicative nature of conflict transformation and peacebuilding and highlights the applicability of engaged scholarship to other contexts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 290 pages
Publication date: 18 September 2020
Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing Inc

This inaugural volume in the Peter Lang Conflict and Peace series brings together a diverse range of works that explore the complex interplay between the promise and reality of applying communication principles and theories to conflict transformation and peacebuilding across the globe and in the United States. Each chapter offers concrete examples of engaged scholarship in this field, showcasing the practical applications of communication concepts and theories to real-world situations. Contributors to the chapters explain how their on-the-ground work has not only contributed to the development of communication theory but also to conflict transformation and peacebuilding practices. Furthermore, they delve into the challenges and complexities involved in designing and implementing techniques and practices that are effective in this context.

As a collective, this edited volume highlights the communicative nature of conflict transformation and peacebuilding, particularly through the lens of engaged scholarship. It also sheds light on the tensions and complexities that arise in the pursuit of engaged scholarship, which have broader implications beyond conflict transformation and peacebuilding.

The chapters in this volume are organized into three sections. The first section focuses on the theoretical foundations of communication and conflict transformation. It explores the role of communication in shaping conflict dynamics, promoting dialogue, and fostering understanding. The authors examine various communication theories and frameworks, including intercultural communication, peace communication, and conflict resolution, and discuss how they can be applied to different contexts.

The second section explores the practical applications of communication principles and theories in conflict transformation and peacebuilding. The chapters provide case studies and examples from various regions, including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. They showcase how communication interventions have been used to address conflicts, promote peace negotiations, and build social cohesion. The authors also discuss the challenges and limitations of these interventions and offer recommendations for future practice.

The third section examines the role of engaged scholarship in conflict transformation and peacebuilding. The chapters discuss the ethical considerations and responsibilities of researchers and practitioners in this field. They explore the challenges of conducting research in sensitive environments, such as conflict zones, and the importance of building partnerships and engaging with local communities. The authors also highlight the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need for reflexivity in the research process.

In conclusion, this inaugural volume in the Peter Lang Conflict and Peace series provides a comprehensive and insightful examination of the tensions between the promise and reality of applying communication principles and theories to conflict transformation and peacebuilding. It offers a rich collection of works that showcase the practical applications of communication concepts and theories in real-world situations. The chapters highlight the role of engaged scholarship in this field, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, reflexivity, and ethical considerations in the pursuit of conflict transformation and peacebuilding.

Weight: 578g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781433179020
Edition number: New ed