Preventing Violent Extremism through Government and Community Partnerships

Communication scholarship has a strong tradition of practical, use-oriented engagement on a variety of applied topics, such as doctor-patient communication in health-care, interaction in courtroom settings, the dynamics of traditional and online workplace environments, and negotiation techniques employed by law enforcement officials. This body of research has contributed not only to a better understanding of the dynamics of human interaction, but it has also addressed how to overcome communication challenges, and how to engage productively when individuals are in conflict with one another. As showcased by the contributions to this volume, the conflict transformation approach has enhanced conflict and communication research in many contexts. This chapter applies the conflict transformation framework to an emerging area for communication research, that of countering violent extremism.