ABSTRACT
This opening part of the Handbook concerns aspects of language which can be seen as both most and least obviously related to conflict. While the words we choose to use may appear to the lay-person as the most obvious way to offend or pacify those we find ourselves in conflict with, this section concerns not how we threaten (or find agreement with) others, but how we create a view of the world that may exacerbate – or ameliorate – situations of unacceptable conflict. We will consider the more direct interpersonal aspects of linguistic choices in Section II, but for now we will see how the effects of what we say/write – and how we say/write it – may feed into the fundamental structures of our worldview with the consequence of putting us at odds with those holding a different or an opposing worldview. While the worldview we create by our textual choices often directly impinges on our audience(s), it is convenient to separate out the textual choices from their (interpersonal) effects in order to make some progress in understanding each strand of communication.
