Communication and Culture, Conflict and Cohesion

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'In the Information Age'Bold text Communication and Culture

"Communication and Culture, Conflict and Cohesion" is a book edited by Alexander G. Flor (2002), an expert on Knowledge Management for Development, which discusses the need for convergence in society through inter-cultural communication, using case studies in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It also examines environmental conflicts, indigenous peoples, and the official development assistance in the Philippines. In the book, Flor noted that communication and culture are “inextricably linked”. Societal conflict in this age of informatization is a “function of culture caused by a dysfunction of societal communication”. The quality and degree of societal communication – the mass media and education -- determine the ways that cultures are exposed to others. The higher the quality and degree of inter-cultural communication, the lower the propensity for conflict, and vice versa. He observed that many of the world’s contemporary wars – in Rwanda, Basque, Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Aceh, East Timor -- are not being waged by national political struggles “but by cultures”. For example, Catholic bishops and Islam ulama agree that the conflict in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines is triggered by “opposing value systems (on the use of natural resources), opposing social structures (feudal vs. oligarchic), and opposing worldviews (materialistic vs. idealistic)” – all of which, Flor noted, are components of culture. One of the first steps to help repair the situation is for communication policy scientists to “begin with tolerance as a short-term solution, and understanding as a long-term solution”. Tolerance and understanding require “good communication” from both ends of the spectrum that are striving to achieve “mutual understanding” – the goal of Kincaid (1979) for communication in his Convergence Model. The concept of convergence looks at the communication process as cyclical between source and receiver, and interactive between their message and feedback. “With convergence comes cohesion.” Mutual understanding achieved through communication helps preclude conflicts, and encourages cohesion among the world’s cultures.

References: Flor, Alexander G. (2002). Communication and Culture, Conflict and Cohesion. University of the Philippines-Los Banos College of Development Communication, and the Foundation for Development & Communication, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. Kincaid, D. Lawrence (1979). The Convergence Model of Communication. Institute of Communication & Culture, University of Hawaii East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.

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