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The "Other" Recreated : A Relational Approach to East-West Negotiations

Svedberg, Erika LU (2000) In Lund Political Studies
Abstract
This study proposes the relational approach to negotiations to further our understanding of the negotiation relationship. At the center is negotiators' outlook on the other and themselves in East-West cooperation projects. This approach to negotiations is pluralist. Consequently, a number of theories have been utilized. First, using feminist theorizing in philosophy and International Relations, the question of objectivity, identity, social position and knowledge production is discussed. The relational approach entails giving up the idea that scientific work can be cleansed of its subjective and affective baggage. Instead, the researcher's biases and social context ought to be used as "evidence" in the research process.



... (More)
This study proposes the relational approach to negotiations to further our understanding of the negotiation relationship. At the center is negotiators' outlook on the other and themselves in East-West cooperation projects. This approach to negotiations is pluralist. Consequently, a number of theories have been utilized. First, using feminist theorizing in philosophy and International Relations, the question of objectivity, identity, social position and knowledge production is discussed. The relational approach entails giving up the idea that scientific work can be cleansed of its subjective and affective baggage. Instead, the researcher's biases and social context ought to be used as "evidence" in the research process.



Secondly, negotiations are conceptualized as dynamic social processes and the interaction and communication between negoti-ators are analyzed. It is argued that to focus on one actor at a time is nonsensical since the actors influence each other's behavior, thinking and self-images when negotiating. Actors create meaning and sense of identity as they interact. The approach employs theories of communication, social psychology and intercultural communication.



Thirdly, in the relational graph the empirical material is presented as a typology of four meetings. The author conducted open-ended interviews with 27 negotiators and had numerous conversations with negotiators and people with experience from East-West cooperation projects. She also coordinated a project between two youth organizations in Sweden and Russia between 1992-95. The four types of meetings in the typology are first, the meeting of different masculinities, in which the interaction is viewed in terms of being between two types of masculinities. Secondly, the mirror meeting is described in which the parties view the other in similar ways. The third type of meeting is the concurring meeting where both sides' descriptions complement an overall picture of the negotiation relationship. Fourthly, in the other recreated the relationship is described in how it evolves over time, from enthusiasm to aversion. The negotiation relationship becomes untenable as new stereotypical other images grow stronger. Many East-West cooperation projects turned out to be a disappointing experience for those involved and, in general, both sides expressed feeling relieved when working together was no longer "necessary" due to practical reasons. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Studien presenterar en relationell ansats till förhandlingar, dvs en förhandlingsanalys i vilken relationerna mellan aktörerna står i centrum. Det innebär att istället för att se till enskilda förhandlares strategier etc, läggs tonvikten vid att förstå interaktionen mellan förhandlarna. Således har studier som söker slå fast nationella särdrag eller kulturellt betingade "förhandlingsstilar" inte befunnits användbara då aktörernas beteende ovillkorligen påverkas och förändras inom varje interaktion. Studiens empiriska material består av djupintervjuer med 27 förhandlare samt en större mängd samtal med förhandlare och andra personer med erfarenhet från öst-västliga samarbetsprojekt i Ryssland under... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Studien presenterar en relationell ansats till förhandlingar, dvs en förhandlingsanalys i vilken relationerna mellan aktörerna står i centrum. Det innebär att istället för att se till enskilda förhandlares strategier etc, läggs tonvikten vid att förstå interaktionen mellan förhandlarna. Således har studier som söker slå fast nationella särdrag eller kulturellt betingade "förhandlingsstilar" inte befunnits användbara då aktörernas beteende ovillkorligen påverkas och förändras inom varje interaktion. Studiens empiriska material består av djupintervjuer med 27 förhandlare samt en större mängd samtal med förhandlare och andra personer med erfarenhet från öst-västliga samarbetsprojekt i Ryssland under 1990-talet. Författaren ledde ett samarbetsprojekt mellan två ungdomsorganisationer i Sverige och Ryssland mellan 1992-95. I studien belyses förhandlarnas syn på sig själva samt motparten. Förhandlingsprocessen är en meningsskapande process i vilken parternas inbördes roller och identiteter etableras.



Den relationella ansatsen är pluralistisk, vilket innebär att flera olika teorier använts, bland annat interkulturell kommunikation och förhandlingsteori. I studiens första del diskuteras, med hjälp av feministisk teori i filosofi och internationella relationer, frågor kring objektivitet, identitet, social position och kunskapsproduktion. Det konstateras att den relationella ansatsen innebär ett ifrågasättande av gängse uppfattning att det skulle gå att "rensa" vetenskaplig metod från subjektivitet och affektion. Studien argumenterar i detta sammanhang för att forskarens grundsyn och sociala kontext bör ses som "bevismaterial" och därmed öppet och medvetet användas som en viktig del av forskningsprocessen.



Vidare analyseras det empiriska materialet utifrån en typologi av "möten" eller interaktioner mellan parterna. Fyra specifika typer av möten identifieras och belyses med hjälp av empiriska exempel. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • PhD Neumann, Iver, NUPI, Oslo, Norway
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Political and administrative sciences, East-West, Cooperation, negotiation, mirror image, sovietology, objectivity, relational, feminist IR, masculinities, self-reflection, intercultural communication, Statsvetenskap, förvaltningskunskap
in
Lund Political Studies
issue
112
pages
218 pages
publisher
Lund University
defense location
Eden, Lund University
defense date
2000-02-11 10:15:00
ISSN
0460-0037
ISBN
91-628-3981-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e7a9b69f-19fb-499e-805f-96df7e3b299c (old id 19607)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:05:02
date last changed
2019-07-02 10:43:54
@phdthesis{e7a9b69f-19fb-499e-805f-96df7e3b299c,
  abstract     = {{This study proposes the relational approach to negotiations to further our understanding of the negotiation relationship. At the center is negotiators' outlook on the other and themselves in East-West cooperation projects. This approach to negotiations is pluralist. Consequently, a number of theories have been utilized. First, using feminist theorizing in philosophy and International Relations, the question of objectivity, identity, social position and knowledge production is discussed. The relational approach entails giving up the idea that scientific work can be cleansed of its subjective and affective baggage. Instead, the researcher's biases and social context ought to be used as "evidence" in the research process.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Secondly, negotiations are conceptualized as dynamic social processes and the interaction and communication between negoti-ators are analyzed. It is argued that to focus on one actor at a time is nonsensical since the actors influence each other's behavior, thinking and self-images when negotiating. Actors create meaning and sense of identity as they interact. The approach employs theories of communication, social psychology and intercultural communication.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Thirdly, in the relational graph the empirical material is presented as a typology of four meetings. The author conducted open-ended interviews with 27 negotiators and had numerous conversations with negotiators and people with experience from East-West cooperation projects. She also coordinated a project between two youth organizations in Sweden and Russia between 1992-95. The four types of meetings in the typology are first, the meeting of different masculinities, in which the interaction is viewed in terms of being between two types of masculinities. Secondly, the mirror meeting is described in which the parties view the other in similar ways. The third type of meeting is the concurring meeting where both sides' descriptions complement an overall picture of the negotiation relationship. Fourthly, in the other recreated the relationship is described in how it evolves over time, from enthusiasm to aversion. The negotiation relationship becomes untenable as new stereotypical other images grow stronger. Many East-West cooperation projects turned out to be a disappointing experience for those involved and, in general, both sides expressed feeling relieved when working together was no longer "necessary" due to practical reasons.}},
  author       = {{Svedberg, Erika}},
  isbn         = {{91-628-3981-0}},
  issn         = {{0460-0037}},
  keywords     = {{Political and administrative sciences; East-West; Cooperation; negotiation; mirror image; sovietology; objectivity; relational; feminist IR; masculinities; self-reflection; intercultural communication; Statsvetenskap; förvaltningskunskap}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{112}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Political Studies}},
  title        = {{The "Other" Recreated : A Relational Approach to East-West Negotiations}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}