This thesis approaches the topic of communication strategies that can influence and improve peace negotiations and conflict resolutions. The aim of this thesis is to highlight ways in which the use of communication can possibly pave the way towards a world with less conflicts by researching two communication approaches called nonviolent communication and strategic communication. To achieve a greater understanding of the two communication models, they will be applied to the case study of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Consequently, this thesis will also include a comparative analysis which will highlight differences and similarities between the two approaches where, as a result, the core of communication will be discussed.Overall, this thesis will highlight the importance of communication. Communication is a topic that affects all areas of life, the area of religion included. This thesis argues that both nonviolent communication and strategic communication are essential approaches in realising what the core of communication entails. To conclude, this thesis states that both of the two chosen communication models are useful, and can possibly pave the way towards a world with less conflicts, but in different ways. This thesis demonstrates that communication can build bridges, make connections, and restore faith in humanity.

<p>This degree project focuses on the importance of being professional doing a job at the same time as being able to express one self in a professional way. The degree project also focuses on how the work as an environmental- and health inspector could be made easier by making the inspectors aware of their language and open to change. Finally the focus of this degree project lies on how positive contacts can be made with people despite them being informed of difficult or unwanted things.</p><p>In order to get an overview of the inspectors’ communication skills today the environmental- and health inspectors at the environment office in Laholm´s municipality were evaluated. The inspectors´ communications styles and languages were checked on the basis of the “nonviolent communication model” by Marshall Rosenberg.</p><p>The content and the result of this report were presented for the head of the environment office, the chairman of the committee and the participating inspectors in Laholm´s municipality. The presentation was done in order to elucidate the differences in the inspectors´ languages and to create a discussion on how to proceed with the work within communication.</p><p> </p><p>The future vision is a popular inspector that masters NVC and uses their communication skills as a quality assurance for their work.</p>

This degree project focuses on the importance of being professional doing a job at the same time as being able to express one self in a professional way. The degree project also focuses on how the work as an environmental- and health inspector could be made easier by making the inspectors aware of their language and open to change. Finally the focus of this degree project lies on how positive contacts can be made with people despite them being informed of difficult or unwanted things. In order to get an overview of the inspectors’ communication skills today the environmental- and health inspectors at the environment office in Laholm´s municipality were evaluated. The inspectors´ communications styles and languages were checked on the basis of the “nonviolent communication model” by Marshall Rosenberg. The content and the result of this report were presented for the head of the environment office, the chairman of the committee and the participating inspectors in Laholm´s municipality. The presentation was done in order to elucidate the differences in the inspectors´ languages and to create a discussion on how to proceed with the work within communication. The future vision is a popular inspector that masters NVC and uses their communication skills as a quality assurance for their work.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Lisa J. Raser, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Speech Communication, presented on October 30th, 2013, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: EPISTOLARY PEDAGOGY: COMMUNICATING CARE IN THE UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Suzanne M. Daughton While many scholars have affirmed the importance of communicating care in pedagogical settings (Noddings; Bubeck; Held; Ruddick; Monchinski; hooks; Palmer) there is a need for more scholarly discussion about what the communication of care between teachers and students looks like as a daily, tangible practice. Geneva Gay writes that educators "are hard-pressed to characterize [caring] in actual practice, to put a functional face on it that goes beyond feelings of empathy and emotional attachment" (48). In this dissertation, I examine letter writing in the classroom as one practice of communicating care between teachers and students. As a teacher who seeks to communicate care to my students, I am interested in what pedagogical care looks like, in action. Since I have employed my own "epistolary pedagogy" of writing letters to my students at the beginning of each semester, I want to know how my letter might communicate the giving of care and how the letters written by my students might communicate the receiving of care. Therefore, the data for this project consists of my letter that I wrote to my students at Southern Illinois University as well as a sample of thirty letters that I received back from my students in response to my letter. For analysis, I utilize a version of generic rhetorical criticism combined with a nonviolent communication lens as a method for revealing and understanding the communicative patterns that exist across this collection of letters. The textual evidence across the letters from my students suggests the rhetorical patterns of: self-disclosure, hopes and contributions, assessment, and connection with my letter. These patterns help me to understand ways that my students may be receiving my letter as care. This project explores how an epistolary pedagogy functions as care-in-action because it opens a space for communication between teacher and student, leads to feelings of comfort in the classroom, and provides an opportunity for teacher and students to build a continuing relationship.

Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka huruvida individer som väljer att utbilda sig i en kommunikationsmodell upplever förändring i interaktion med andra människor efter avslutad utbildning. Studien är kvalitativ och grundar sig på en hermeneutisk forskningsansats vilket innebär att vi har tolkat några individers upplevelser av sin utbildning i Nonviolent Communication (NVC), både före, under och efter utbildningen. Vi har använt oss av semistrukturerade intervjuer med en man och åtta kvinnor. Åldern på respondenterna har varierat och de har arbetat eller arbetar inom olika sociala yrken. I tolkningen av det empiriska materialet spelar Randall Collins begrepp interaktionsritualer en viktig roll i tydningen av utbildningstillfällets betydelse för respondenterna. Moira Von Wrights tolkning av George Herbert Meads olika begrepp är vår andra huvudteori, och den blir relevant i förhållande till den perspektivväxling som många av respondenterna beskriver att de upplevt efter utbildningen. Von Wright beskriver två möjliga perspektiv människor betraktar varandra på i interaktion, ett punktuellt och ett relationellt perspektiv. Arlie Hochschilds begrepp emotionellt arbete är relevant eftersom NVC som modell handlar om att förstå känslornas betydelse. Ulla Holms tankar om empatins två riktningar fyller även dessa en viktig funktion i uppsatsen eftersom vi tolkar det som att respondenterna pendlar mellan den känslomässiga empatin och den intellektuella empatin och att båda behövs. I uppsatsen finns en sammanfattning av intervjuerna med respondenterna, där de beskriver hur de har formats och påverkats av sina upplevelser under och efter sin utbildning i NVC. Det har även framkommit att respondenternas intentioner är att leva upp till ett relationellt förhållningssätt och att möta andra individer som ett vem, vilket är Von Wrights begrepp, och att denna förmåga ökat efter utbildningen. Men det har även visat sig att det finns omständigheter som styr respondenterna mot ett punktuellt perspektiv och i interaktion möter andra som Von Wrights begrepp ett vad. Dock finns det en medvetenhet hos respondenterna när förflyttningen mellan att möta och se andra som ett vem till ett vad eller tvärtom sker.

Adaptive capacity is essential for organisations to be able to adapt to the sustainability challenge, and change its course. Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is an interpersonal communication tool that enables a user to move from a language of judgements to a language of needs by using 4 steps: observation, feelings, needs, and request. As communication is essential to the adaptive capacity of a social system, this thesis explores the question: How does Nonviolent Communication support the adaptive capacity of organisations? Through a mixed methods approach (semi-structured interviews and surveys with NVC trainers, organisational representatives and employees), the effects of NVC on communication in 3 sample organisations in the Netherlands (a school, NGO and research institute), is explored. Quantitative survey results show that NVC has a positive to very positive effect on common organisational communication dynamics. Qualitative data supports this finding and shows that NVC brings positive effects of increased understanding, listening, and progress in work related issues through an increased awareness of one’s own and other’s needs and feelings. When linking these results to adaptive capacity of organisations, it is concluded that NVC directly supports the adaptive capacity elements of trust, diversity and learning, and indirectly supports common meaning and self-organisation.

This research assesses the impact of a violence prevention training, Total Honesty/Total Heart, based on the Nonviolent Communication model (Rosenberg, 2003) for conflict resolution and empathy development (including self-empathy). This study offers a strategic response to adolescent aggressive/violent behaviour. The participants, aged 16-19, were all experiencing the stresses of poverty and marginalization at the time of the study, and were familiar with both domestic and peer violence. Some had received criminal charges, some were raising children, and all were struggling to complete high school. The research methodology is located within the traditions of educational research and program evaluation. Subsequently, this project combines a simple quasi-experimental pre-training and post-training written test (providing descriptive statistics) with qualitative data gathered through training sessions and interviews. A case illustration is included to further enhance the findings. This approach allowed a rich multi-dimensional analysis to be generated for such a small pilot project (N=14). The test results showed a notable increase in skills comprehension and applications for the participant group, while the comparison group showed no increases. The participant group interviews revealed that the training had been engaging, and that the skills were practically applicable as well as meaningful. The case illustration revealed the transformative impact of integrating the Nonviolent Communication conflict resolution, empathy, and self-empathy skills into one participant’s life. In particular, this thesis suggests that self-empathy may be integral to supporting the development of conflict resolution skills specifically, and healthy relationships generally, for young women who have experienced abuse, trauma, and domestic violence.