Conflict Across Cultures: A Unique Experience of Bridging Differences

Conflict Across Cultures: A Unique Experience of Bridging Differences
Michelle LeBaron,Venashri Pillay | 2006-10-02 00:00:00 | Intercultural Press | 224 | Negotiating
Cultural differences among members of a group, be it a multinational business team or a multinational family, are frequently the source of misunderstanding and conflict. Using stories from a variety of cultures to illustrate techniques for resolving or at least reducing culture-inspired conflicts, LeBaron, Pillay and contributors from around the globe demystify the intricate and important relationships between conflict and culture. The authors describe processes and identify the tools and skills that make for successful conflict resolution. The stories, which are at the heart of the book, are from a variety of cultures and geogaphic locations and have application for groups in all kinds of settings: business, law, social services, government, non-governmental agencies, academia, even families.
Reviews
I would concur with the other reviewer that this a great book for college students exploring intercultural conflict. One of the contributors, Tatsushi Arai, was a professor of mine and we used this book in class. Take time to research professor Arai as he is an amazing practioner and true leader in conflict transformation in the field. This book is a great book to read along with Liisa Malkki's "Purity in Exile". Also, read Vamik Volcan for further depth of the intergenerational psychological root components of conflict. This book is an edited work so each piece stands a little bit on its own yet they are all woven together by a group of authors that took great effort to make a cohesive work.
Reviews
On April 29, 1992, a California jury acquitted four Los Angeles police officers of using excessive force against Rodney King, an African-American motorist whom they had severely beaten after a high-speed car chase. The beating had been caught on camera and televised. The not-guilty verdict sparked four days of massive rioting by blacks in Los Angeles. To help quell the mayhem, King appealed for public order by asking, "Can we all get along?" Unfortunately, "getting along" is never easy, particularly when cultures come into conflict, as embodied by the white law enforcement officers and the black driver. Considering the number of such seemingly intractable conflicts around the world, many contend that they simply cannot be resolved. This book claims otherwise, at least for smaller-scale disagreements where members of different cultures can sit down with each other to iron things out. Michelle LeBaron and Venashri Pillay explain the potential of "building relationships" as a solution to conflict. They focus on using knowledge and understanding to bridge cultural chasms, and report on international studies and case histories. They also explain the psychology of conflict and cultural assumptions. We applaud the authors for their insightful analysis and intelligent approach, and recommend this book to human resource managers and others who work with employees from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Reviews
CONFLICT ACROSS CULTURES: A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF BRIDGING DIFFERENCES comes from modern conflict resolution scholars from Canada, South Africa, Japan and the U.S. who describe the latest concepts and framework for successful conflict resolution. With these new techniques in hand comes new understanding of the roots of cultural conflicts, exposed in a series of stories which come from a range of groups and locales. College-level students of international studies will find this perfect for classroom debate and study.

Download this book!

Free Ebooks Download