"Nonviolent communication is for the privileged"
"Nonviolent Communication Is for the Privileged" by Raffi Marhaba
A zillion people posted this link in the last day or two. Most posted it without much comment, which annoyed me, because the headline is really unclear.
So here's a summary of what the essay says:
Marshall Rosenberg's book called Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life is flawed because it overfocuses on similarities among people and doesn't take into account differences in culture, language, education, power and influence. Also it appropriates communication tools that were widely in use before Rosenberg's method (NVC) existed.
"In conclusion, NVC can be a useful tool to resolve interpersonal conflict, to explore what our feelings mean, to take accountability for our actions, to improve ourselves and the way we communicate and it can also be a dangerous and violent tool that allows for people in power to feel good about themselves while benefiting from oppressed people."
A zillion people posted this link in the last day or two. Most posted it without much comment, which annoyed me, because the headline is really unclear.
So here's a summary of what the essay says:
Marshall Rosenberg's book called Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life is flawed because it overfocuses on similarities among people and doesn't take into account differences in culture, language, education, power and influence. Also it appropriates communication tools that were widely in use before Rosenberg's method (NVC) existed.
"In conclusion, NVC can be a useful tool to resolve interpersonal conflict, to explore what our feelings mean, to take accountability for our actions, to improve ourselves and the way we communicate and it can also be a dangerous and violent tool that allows for people in power to feel good about themselves while benefiting from oppressed people."