Book Review: Conflict is Not Abuse
Part two of “what is good conflict?”
This is part two of a two-part article series. If you haven’t read part one, I recommend doing that first.
Where we left off: The phone call cure-all
In her book Conflict is Not Abuse, author Sarah Schulman claimed a simple phone call would have avoided all possibility of miscommunication.
She wrote, “the now ‘forbidden’ ten-to-twenty minute phone conversation could save the subsequent months or years of misplaced bad feeling”, insinuating that people never misinterpret words spoken over the phone or in person.
In advocating for due process and dialogue, Schulman declares “in-person, interactive conversation […] produces resolution”, as though face-to-face communication never devolves into a shouting match, hurled accusations, or verbal assault.
“Email creates repression and anxiety”, laments Schulman, claiming it is not possible to communicate complex and nuanced ideas through electronic communication. I would like to bring Schulman’s attention to the Deaf and non-speaking communities.
Many people have had a lifetime of practice formulating and conveying deep thoughts through writing, signing, and typing. While email and text certainly lack the…
