power dynamics

[freyley]

I've been trying to figure out why the term nonviolent communication bothers me. It does -- though I'm not as much objecting to the concept. I think I'd call the concept noncompetitive communication, and I tend to agree that's important

Comments

[keturn]

I went looking for an origin and definition of the phrase "non-violent communication," and I noticed a funny thing: The introductory material at the Center for Nonviolent Communication and the other material linked to from the Wikipedia page never uses the phrase "violent communication," nor for that matter does it invoke the words "violent" or "violence" at all. The CNVC's definition begins with stating that it "nonviolent communication" is sometimes called "compassionate communication", and then just collapses it to "NVC."

The only thing I've found on the etymology so far is the sentence on Wikipedia, "The name "nonviolent communication" refers to Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of ahimsa or nonviolence."

From skimming Anger and Domination Systems, I think that Dr. Rosenberg (the man who coined the phrase) believes that what you would recognize as violence (blatant verbal or physical attacks) is precipitated by what you term "so-called violent communication" above. (or perhaps, I suppose, by a lack of communication.)

That context makes Butler's statements like "it is considered violent to use power to dominate or control the group process" seem consistent with the preexisting understanding of "violent."

In a nutshell, "Nonviolent Communication" is the name of a (spiritual) practice you can adopt to prevent violence from arising in the world.

[freyley]

It seems, from this, that there are at least three different definitions of nonviolent communication, and that maybe my difficulty is as much with the people who actively teach and encourage it, for creating this ambiguity.

Thanks for the links.