From destructive to constructive conversations between groups in conflict: Cultural, ideological, ethnonational, religious and linguistic aspects (S2)

Fostering interaction between holders of opposing views is often considered an important way to counteract intergroup stereotypes and defuse conflict. Some such interactions are indeed constructive—but, on the other hand, many of these interactions devolve into destructive dialogues that only serve to deepen conflict. In this panel we will consider examples of constructive and destructive interactions between holders of opposing views side by side—hoping to shed light on the various factors that differentiate conflicts that spiral out of control from those that find a more productive way towards resolution. We take a multidisciplinary and multimethod approach, considering factors ranging from the cultural, ideological, and religious aspects of the conflict to the very words that are spoken in conflictual conversations.

Symposium Organizer: Ifat Maoz, Hebrew University
Symposium Chair: Deborah Cai, Temple University

Hebrew teachers as informal leaders of change: Palestinian teachers teaching the Hebrew language to Arab students in Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem

Alexandra Shawan, Program for Gender and Diversity Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The sense of belonging and intergroup attitudes in asymmetric protracted ethnonational conflict: East-Jerusalem Palestinian students at an Israeli academic setting

Nitzan Faibish, Department of Political Science and the Truman Institute, The Hebrew University

Insta-Peace? Instagram Journalism in Israel as a platform that gives voice to marginalized groups and enables dialogue between Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian users

Yifat Mor, Department of Communication and Journalism, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Historical, cultural, and religious aspects of the difficult conversations between Muslims and Jews: The case of Temple Mount/ Al-Haram Al-Sharif as a contested site

Moshe Ma'oz, Truman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Not talking about the “end-game”: pseudo-negotiations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Yuval Benziman, Program for Conflict Research, Management and Resolution, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Conversational receptiveness transmits between parties and reduces affective polarization

Hanne Collins, Harvard Business School, Harvard University