Hi everyone, this blog post is about how taking into account of culture can help to resolve conflicts. Different countries can have different styles of communication which we need to know to help resolve conflicts. Kevin Avruch states that increasingly in the field of conflict resolution that culture matters when it comes to resolving conflicts. Trying to achieve peace is at the heart of most religions in the world and is a principle in many and achieving peace is a mission for many church's today whether it is a conflict involving religion or not. This is also a universal issue applying to many conflicts and religion may be important to some and involved in a conflict situation or not. To apply western standards of conflict resolution to some disputes that are not in the North can result in failure. Some people with autism or who have hearing loss to may need to be communicated with in a different manner to avoid conflict. We need to pay attention to this. This was one of my favourite subjects at university which I passed favourably and thought that I would turn one of the topics I covered into a short blog post.
Western models of conflict resolution are often left wanting when these models are utilised in more traditional cultures that do not have western values or in cases that arise because of some specific cultural issues. In this blog post I will show that taking culture into account matters when it comes to resolving some conflicts in society that do not come from the North especially.
In this blog post I will look at what exactly the western model of conflict resolution are so to make clear just how much this approach can vary when compared to other cultural approaches in this blog post. I will show by putting culture into the frame can call for an alternative model of conflict resolution that differs from the western model. We need to take account which style of mediation may be useful when resolving conflicts especially when those involved may be not traditional and Western.
Culture Explained.
Culture is a psychological and social construction. In conflict resolution ”Culture, consists of the derivatives of experience, more or less organized, learned or created by individuals of a population, including those images or encodements and their interpretations (meanings) transmitted from past generations, from contemporaries or formed by individuals themselves”(Avruch 1991).
A different approach is needed in some countries
Different countries may demand different styles of communication and resolution. Communication matters and if you cannot communicate with people effectively then the chances of success in any kind of negotiation will be very slim. Raymond Cohen has pointed out that negotiators tend to be more conscious of the impact of culture when talks fail then when they succeed (Cohen 1992). This is something that we should try to prevent. Also attempting to ignore local (home, community) cultures customs and norms fails in taking the complexity of culture seriously and how it is internalised by some people.
High context and low context cultures
There are also high context and low context cultures which at times may need different forms of communication tools to resolve conflict. China is a high context culture and there form of communication style is typically more non verbal and based on shared understanding and gestures such as eye contact, facial expressions and the use of body language which may carry significant weight in reaching effective communicating in this country. Low context cultures prize more direct and specific verbal communication when communicating. England is an example of a low context culture. Indirect communication is used more in traditional cultures which is often less direct in operation. Cultural differences in communication may call for a need of increased cultural awareness, education, and immersion in the respective cultures to achieve effective communication to work towards
achieving peace.
Emic and Ethic cultures
Some traditional cultures are more emic (insider culture/member orientated to resolve) in nature and Western approaches are more etic (more led by outside observers who tend to prefer the more “formal process” and “specialist role” and intervention through a structured setting (Ausburger 1992) to resolve these conflicts. These approaches may be used to guide them.
Negotiators and mediators can draw on a repertoire of approaches according to the need and subject matter. Direct communication which uses confrontation, face to face negotiation, directness and frankness in stating demands are also seen as prized often in western conflict models.
Emic approaches as said are more actor-centred and are more typically used in traditional cultures. Both of these approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. I tend to agree with Raymond Cohen here that “Although, we tend to think of nations conforming to a fixed negotiating style, we should again beware of viewing the question deterministically. The Western model of conflict resolution is often more etic in nature. An ethic approach is based on an analyst centred objective and approach is transcultural.(Avruch 1991).
To Mohammed Abu Nimer in his article “Conflict Resolution Approaches: Western and Middle Eastern Lessons and Possibilities, face to face negotiation is important in western style conflict resolution (Nimer). David Ausburger again notes that confrontation, directness, frankness in stating demands are also seen as prized in western conflict resolution models (Ausburger 1992). Western models we understand often call for a direct method of action and they are usually more interpersonal and formal in nature. Negotiation plays a central part in conflict resolution. We should take account which style may be useful when resolving conflicts especially when those involved may be not traditional and Western.
To negotiate and mediate a dispute and not give courtesy to these differences when they are involved sometimes may lead to a protracted longer mediation period and also the potential for the mediation to collapse because of a communication breakdown between the two parties due partly to a lack of common respect and courtesy.
We are all different as people as well and myself with autism and my values I do not like people to get very close to me who I do not know and sometimes not without asking just putting their hands on my body. Let us be aware of individuality as well. Getting consent helps and I am ok usually with my hands being touched. This is a part of my sensory profile to. Asking people what they are ok with may help prevent conflict. Some people with autism do not wish to be touched by others and perhaps allowing people to take the Eucharist themselves after it has been blessed with sterilised hands and leave it in the holder to allow people to take them one by one with their own hands. I am ok taking this Sacrament normally, but some people are not and we need to accommodate them to.
For me to speech is also important and I need to go home and look at the service online as I process things differently than some and some conversation cannot be taken in. Luckily my church has an online version to which I listen to later alone at home and I love attending church Perhaps allowing some people to record the sermon etc should be possible if this is not available online. I can find extensivly overrun sermons difficult as to focus on. I know they may happen once in a while, but we should be aware of others to who may find it harder to focus. Some people may need to wear ear defenders even with limited noise for their neurodiversity and they are not listening to music and may be supportive education may be helpful for all church members.
An additional church service without music may be useful to some church members to.
I know someone who is very hard of hearing in my church and they can get into disptue with some members if they speak louder. They no longer wear a hearing device. I am trying to think of ways to help them to solve this conflict and as I learn I will edit those thoughts into this post. This is just one blog post and there is further information on this online for those who are hard of hearing and how to learn to communicate to them. This is best summed up from a fellow lover of education how we should resolve disputes over communication styles "For religious beliefs alone, the best way you will ever communicate your beliefs is in true conversation with those of anyone else is for you to first know theirs in full, as well. I still contend most people need to fully read and thoroughly understand what their own text of a belief system says in full, too because I see / hear so many that misfire talking about it. It goes for everything, though, definitely. If you don't fully know what you are talking about, you are going to make mistakes, you are likely going to offend and therefore you are going to prevent actual conversations and chances at learning further."
Summing up
In this blog post I have demonstrated how western models of conflict resolution are not universally applicable to every conflict resolution situation. Negotiation styles can vary in different cultures. I have shown how taking culture putting culture into the picture can matter and potentially help to resolve some conflicts. What is needed is to determine what form of resolution will work best. Culture matters and increasingly so in the global world that we live in today.
Journals
Conflict Resolution Approaches Western and middle eastern learning possibilities, by Muhammad Abu Nimer 1996 American Journal of Economics and Sociology 55.
Conflict Resolution, Culture and Religion : Toward a training model of interreligious peace building Mohammed Abu-Nimer 2001 Journal of Peace Research Vol 38 no 6.
Books
Culture and Conflict Resolution Kevin Avruch First Published 1998 Fourth edition
Helen Ware-The No Nonsense Guide to Conflict and peace 2006 New International Pubblication.
David Ausburger Conflict Mediation across cultures, Westminster John Knox Press 1992
Raymond Cohen, Negotiating across cultures-United States institute of peace press, fifth edition 2007. Conflict Resolution Approaches Western and middle eastern learning possibilities, by Muhammad Abu Nimer 1996 American Journal of Economics and Sociology 55.
Oliver Ramsbobtham, Tom Woodhouse, Hugh Miall, Contemporary conflict resolution second edition 2005 Polity Press
Web Links
https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/125996221.pdf
Nonverbal behaviors in Chinese Communication
Summing up
In this blog post I have demonstrated how western models of conflict resolution are not universally applicable to every conflict resolution situation. Negotiation styles can vary in different cultures. I have shown how taking culture putting culture into the picture can matter and potentially help to resolve some conflicts. What is needed is to determine what form of resolution will work best. Culture matters and increasingly so in the global world that we live in today.
Journals
Conflict Resolution Approaches Western and middle eastern learning possibilities, by Muhammad Abu Nimer 1996 American Journal of Economics and Sociology 55.
Conflict Resolution, Culture and Religion : Toward a training model of interreligious peace building Mohammed Abu-Nimer 2001 Journal of Peace Research Vol 38 no 6.
Books
Culture and Conflict Resolution Kevin Avruch First Published 1998 Fourth edition
Helen Ware-The No Nonsense Guide to Conflict and peace 2006 New International Pubblication.
David Ausburger Conflict Mediation across cultures, Westminster John Knox Press 1992
Raymond Cohen, Negotiating across cultures-United States institute of peace press, fifth edition 2007. Conflict Resolution Approaches Western and middle eastern learning possibilities, by Muhammad Abu Nimer 1996 American Journal of Economics and Sociology 55.
Oliver Ramsbobtham, Tom Woodhouse, Hugh Miall, Contemporary conflict resolution second edition 2005 Polity Press
Web Links
https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/125996221.pdf
Nonverbal behaviors in Chinese Communication
Chinese Communication Style with Catherine Xiang - LID Publishing
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10919-024-00454-z.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/public...A_Case_Study_of_Chinese_and_English_Greetings
https://www.davidpublisher.com/Public/uploads/Contribute/58aa9a219b942.pdf
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10919-024-00454-z.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/public...A_Case_Study_of_Chinese_and_English_Greetings
https://www.davidpublisher.com/Public/uploads/Contribute/58aa9a219b942.pdf
