Communication and Conflict

Our ability to communicate successfully affects so many aspects of our lives. Difficulties,  indeed failures, or breakdowns in communication can play a major role in hostility, conflict and war. Communication problems can also lead to personal frustration and desired outcomes not being realised.

The nature of our communications can raise larger contextual issues about human learning, exchange of knowledge and the nature of humanity. How can we communicate where those involved have quite different languages, specialisations and views of the world? How can we avoid conflict when we strongly disagree based on the great differences in how we perceive things? How can we appreciate and consider highly divergent views from our own? How can we still communicate effectively when the conceptual gap is so large? How can we make good decisions and complete tasks when communication is difficult?

Wars may be started and sustained by communication difficulties. When we communicate we are not just stating facts, but also emotions and personal positions that may underlie them. In the cut and thrust of everyday life, being able to recognise, track, and respond to the varied levels in communication can be challenging. It may require us to appreciate knowledge and realities vastly different than our own; bridging communication gaps may place us well outside our comfort zone.

This inter- and multi-disciplinary conference project seeks to explore these and other topics and create dialogue about communication and conflict. We seek submissions from a range of disciplines including communication studies, journalism, public affair’s, public relations, philosophy, psychology, literature, management, business studies, information technology, science, the visual and creative arts, music, politics and also actively encourage practitioners and non-academics with an interest in the topic to participate.

Organising Chairs:
Paul James: [email protected]
Rob Fisher: [email protected]

The conference is part of the Probing the Boundaries programme of research projects. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting. All papers accepted for and presented at the
conference will be eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook.  Selected papers may be developed for publication in a themed hard copy volume(s). 

If you like this Project you may also like: Bullying and the Abuse of Power, Connectivity in the 21st Century, Crisis and Opportunity, Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds, Forgiveness, Hope, Interculturalism, Multiculturalism, Conflict and Belonging, Responsible Living, The Citizen in the 21st Century, Time, Space + Body, War, Civil Conflict, Security and Peace

Please note: Inter-Disciplinary.Net is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence.

Contact Info
Priory House
149B Wroslyn Road
Freeland, Oxfordshire OX29 8HR
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1993 882087
Fax: +44 (0)870 4601132
E-mail: [email protected]