Nonviolence and Communication

Bibliographic Data

ID3916833
AuthorsBrian Martins (0000-0002-6261-7677, University of Wollongong), Brian Martin (0000-0001-7584-7722, Science, Technology and Society, University of Wollongong, corresponding author), Wendy Varney (Science, Technology and Society, University of Wollongong)
Year2003
Volume40
Issue2
Pages213-232
Publication date2003-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Peace Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3433 • E-ISSN: 1460-3578
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0022343303040002619
OpenAlexW4241757337
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited27

Communication is central to the effectiveness of nonviolent action: methods of protest and persuasion are essentially means of communication, while methods of non-cooperation and nonviolent intervention have crucial communicative dimensions. As a mode of political communication, nonviolence can be contrasted with rational dialogue, electoral politics and violence, and stands out from them in combining high transformative potential with dialogue and participation. The more well-studied dimensions of nonviolence as communication are dialogue with opponents, power equalization to prepare for dialogue and mobilization of third parties. To these should be added two further dimensions, collective and individual empowerment. Two cases of nonviolent resistance in the Soviet Union - the 1991 coup and the 1953 prison camp strikes at Norilsk and Vorkuta - are used to illustrate the dimensions of nonviolence as communication in practice. These examples reveal the importance of communication in nonviolent action. They also suggest the difficulty in gaining information on empowerment, especially individual empowerment, which may be one reason why these dimensions have been neglected. The five-dimension framework of nonviolence as communication has the limitation that many actions mix two or more dimensions. Examining the communicative dimensions of nonviolence can alert both activists and researchers to the fact that nonviolent actions do not `speak for themselves

Action (physics) · Collective action · Computer security · Empowerment · Interpersonal communication · Medical emergency · Persuasion · Poison control · Political science · Politics · Power (physics) · Public relations · Resistance (ecology) · Sociology · Transformative learning · Computer Science · Engineering · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Indian History and Philosophy · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · War, Ethics, and Justification