Communication and Community

Download or read book Communication and Community written by Ronald C. Arnett and published by SIU Press. This book was released on 1986 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Martin Buber's work suggests that real life begins with two individ­uals engaged in dialogue, not just taking care of one's own needs as described in social Darwinism. Arnett argues that the end of the age of abundance demands that we give up the communica­tive strategies of the past and seek to work together in the midst of limited resources and an uncertain future. Today's situa­tion calls for an unwavering commitment to Buber's "narrow ridge" concern for both self and community. Arnett illustrates the narrow ridge definition of interpersonal communication with rich ex­amples. His vignettes demon­strate effective and ineffective approaches to human communi­ty. An effective approach, he makes clear, incorporates not only openness to others' points of view but also a willingness to be persuaded.