Communicative interaction as a
Theory-driven Practice
Theories are Ways of Seeing
Theories are Ways of Seeing
• Theories direct our attention, organize our
experience, and enable action.
Theories are Ways of Seeing
• Theories direct our attention, organize our
experience, and enable action.
• The theories we bring to a situation partly
reveal and partly conceal options for
interaction.
Window-Bashing
Window-Bashing
• Repetitively using an old theory in a situation
for which it is not useful.
Window-Bashing
• Repetitively using an old theory in a situation
for which it is not useful.
• The theories may have been perfectly suited
to solve the old problem; but they fail in new
situations
Question: Where do theories
come from?
Theories are Ways of Seeing
• Diversity in our implicit theories can be a
source of collective intelligence if we have
good conflict-communication practices
Theories are Ways of Seeing
• Diversity in our implicit theories can be a
source of collective intelligence if we have
good conflict-communication practices
• But we often fail to recognize and benefit
from others’ “ways of seeing.”
Theories are Ways of Seeing
• Diversity in our implicit theories can be a
source of collective intelligence if we have
good conflict-communication practices
• But we often fail to recognize and benefit
from others’ “ways of seeing.”
• And we consent to theories that we didn’t
actively create or choose.
Conflict as Theory-Driven Practice
Conflict as Theory-Driven Practice
• Conflicts arise out of window-bashing
scenarios
Conflict as Theory-Driven Practice
• Conflicts arise out of window-bashing
scenarios
• Conflicts arise when we consent to
meanings/theories that aren’t our own and
are not in our best interest
Conflict as Theory-Driven Practice
• Conflicts arise out of window-bashing
scenarios
• Conflicts arise when we consent to
meanings/theories that aren’t our own and
are not in our best interest
• Conflicts arise out of clashes between parties
with different implicit theories about a given
problem
Conflict as Theory-Driven Practice
• In these cases, we’ll strive to make our
theories explicit—and then negotiate
potentially new and better theories together.
Conflict as Theory-Driven Practice
• In these cases, we’ll strive to make our
theories explicit—and then negotiate
potentially new and better theories together.
• This is especially important in conditions of
rapid change, interdependence, and pluralism