Naval Postgraduate School
Dudley Knox Library
NPS Dudley Knox Library
View Item 
  •   Calhoun Home
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items
  • View Item
  •   Calhoun Home
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items
  • View Item
  • How to search in Calhoun
  • My Accounts
  • Ask a Librarian
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Browse

All of CalhounCollectionsThis Collection

My Account

LoginRegister

Statistics

Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

The role of culture in conflict resolution

Thumbnail
Download
Icon08Mar_Newman.pdf (558.3Kb)
Download Record
Download to EndNote/RefMan (RIS)
Download to BibTex
Author
Newman, Lea.
Date
2008-03
Advisor
Biermann, Rafael
Second Reader
Tsypkin, Mikhail
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
On any given day, news sources are packed with information on the various negotiations going on throughout the world in an attempt to resolve an ongoing dispute. Typically, nation-states enter into negotiations as a final attempt to resolve their differences in a diplomatic forum rather than resorting to combative retaliation. These negotiations can be protracted and tenuous, especially when the disputing parties come from different cultures. This thesis asserts that all too often, culture is a neglected aspect of conflict resolution. Cultural mismatch and misunderstanding are additional confounding factors that complicate communication and create misperceptions that sometimes hinder finding a mutually acceptable compromise. This is especially true when an external third party, often from another cultural background, is added to mediate between the conflicting parties. When all parties approach negotiations with a clear understanding of the impact of cross-cultural understanding and communication on the conflict resolution process, the parties might find negotiations are smoother and resolution comes easier. This thesis attempts to merge two fields of study that, until now, have been left largely separate in the academic community and largely understudied: conflict resolution and cross-cultural communication. The overall question that this thesis seeks to address is: What is the role of culture in the conflict resolution process, specifically, in international negotiations? The thesis begins by laying out the conceptual foundation of both conflict resolution and culture/cross-cultural communication. We will then build on existing theory from conflict resolution and culture and attempt to merge and expand on them in order to draw up a model with indicators of cultural match / mismatch in international negotiation scenarios. Afterwards, we will apply this model to US-China relations, first assessing the amount of mismatch and then examining two cases, the 1999 bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade and the negotiations surrounding the EP3 incident in 2001. They confirm that indeed negotiations are greatly complicated by a large amount of cultural mismatch, even though further, more rigorous studies are warranted to refine the model.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10945/4173
Collections
  • 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items

Related items

Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

  • Thumbnail

    Evolution of Transdniestrian conflict in the Republic of Moldova: prospects for its solution 

    Marinuta, Vitalie Nicon (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2004-06);
    This thesis analyses the causes and evolution of the conflict in the Republic of Moldova and capabilities of three conflict-regulating mechanisms to facilitate the final political solution of this conflict. The leading ...
  • Thumbnail

    Peacemaking in Burundi: Conflict Resolution versus Conflict Management Strategies 

    Piombo, Jessica (2010);
    Peacemakers are faced with a difficult decision when engaging in negotiations to end conflict: should they adopt a conflict resolution strategy that seeks to address the fundamental drivers of conflict (root causes) or ...
  • Thumbnail

    Greek-Turkish crises since 1955. Implications for Greek-Turkish conflict management 

    Lymberis, Panagiotis (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1997-03);
    Past attempts to explain Greek-Turkish conflict have been built on two underlying themes. One theme focuses on incompatible Greek and Turkish interests while the other identifies cultural and social differences between the ...
NPS Dudley Knox LibraryDUDLEY KNOX LIBRARY
Feedback

411 Dyer Rd. Bldg. 339
Monterey, CA 93943
circdesk@nps.edu
(831) 656-2947
DSN 756-2947

    Federal Depository Library      


Start Your Research

Research Guides
Academic Writing
Ask a Librarian
Copyright at NPS
Graduate Writing Center
How to Cite
Library Liaisons
Research Tools
Thesis Processing Office

Find & Download

Databases List
Articles, Books & More
NPS Theses
NPS Faculty Publications: Calhoun
Journal Titles
Course Reserves

Use the Library

My Accounts
Request Article or Book
Borrow, Renew, Return
Tech Help
Remote Access
Workshops & Tours

For Faculty & Researchers
For International Students
For Alumni

Print, Copy, Scan, Fax
Rooms & Study Spaces
Floor Map
Computers & Software
Adapters, Lockers & More

Collections

NPS Archive: Calhoun
Restricted Resources
Special Collections & Archives
Federal Depository
Homeland Security Digital Library

About

Hours
Library Staff
About Us
Special Exhibits
Policies
Our Affiliates
Visit Us

NPS-Licensed Resources—Terms & Conditions
Copyright Notice

Naval Postgraduate School

Naval Postgraduate School
1 University Circle, Monterey, CA 93943
Driving Directions | Campus Map

This is an official U.S. Navy Website |  Please read our Privacy Policy Notice  |  FOIA |  Section 508 |  No FEAR Act |  Whistleblower Protection |  Copyright and Accessibility |  Contact Webmaster

Export search results

The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

A logged-in user can export up to 15000 items. If you're not logged in, you can export no more than 500 items.

To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.