Avoiding Humiliation - From Intercultural Communication to Global Inter-Human Communication, Talk by Evelin Lindner
Please read in the following announcement in the SIETAR Japan Newsletter, 2006 Spring, p. 27:
SIETAR Japan will welcome Dr Evelin Gerda Lindner, the Founding Manager of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies ( www.humiliationstudies.org) anchored at the Columbia University Conflict Resolution Network, New York, and the recipient of the 2006 SBAP Award for Applied Psychology for her unique research and independent project management skills, as well as for her international presence as a well-known, committed, and multidisciplinary advocate for humanity in a global society. Her work on the effects of humiliation on individuals and communities has made a significant contribution to the study of peace. Dr Lindner is an inspiring speaker.
Details will be available at www.sietar-japan.org.
Introduction
Under certain circumstances, our understanding of culture can have humiliating effects. The notion of culture can be used in either a neutral, descriptive way, or prescriptively, such as, "Are you really part of our culture?" While the descriptive use of the concept of culture may be rather benign, applying it in a prescriptive way may have malign effects. Lindner believes that the field of intercultural communication has a responsibility to discuss these malign effects in order to avoid inadvertently heightening them. This is because intercultural communication that respects cultural difference blindly can do great harm.
Lindner will explain how she started her research on the concept of humiliation and its role in genocide, war, and violent conflict. Her initial research (1997-2001) took her to Rwanda and Somalia, where genocidal killings had taken place in 1994 and 1981.
She will furthermore explain her theory of humiliation and how the notions of pride, honor, dignity, humiliation, and humility are inscribed into current historic and cultural normative transitions. She believes that at the present historic juncture two new forces bring humiliation to the fore in unprecedented intensity. Globalization (or the coming-together of humankind) is the first force, which, in concert with the human rights revolution, the second force, increases the significance of the phenomenon of humiliation.
Lindner concludes with a discussion of how we may best approach identity building within the world's cultures and the two changing forces of globalization and human rights.
She believes that we have to strongly inscribe global inter-human communication into international relations and intercultural communication in order to avoid possible destructive effects from humiliation.
