How Are Conflict and Communication Related?

 

What Is Conflict? What Is Communication?

🔍 Introduction

Before we can manage or resolve conflict, we must understand what it is and just as importantly as what it is not. Likewise, before we can harness the power of communication in peacebuilding, we must first grasp how communication operates across different cultural, social, and digital contexts. This week, we lay the foundation for the weeks ahead by demystifying both concepts.



🧠 What Counts as Conflict?

Conflict is often misunderstood as a synonym for fighting, quarrelling, or violence. In truth, conflict is any situation in which two or more individuals or groups perceive incompatible goals, interests, or values, and where one party’s position threatens or challenges the identity or interests of the other (Deutsch, 1973).

⚠️ Key Insight:

Conflict is not always loud. It may manifest in:

  • Silence that speaks volumes

  • Sarcasm masked as politeness

  • Withdrawal or passive aggression

  • Policy choices that exclude or marginalise

  • Inaction in the face of injustice

“Silence can be conflict in disguise.” – Roxie Ola-Akuma

🌍 Local Analogy:

Imagine a town hall meeting in a rural Nigerian community where younger women are “seen but not heard.” There’s no shouting, no argument. But is there a conflict? Yes. 

The lack of inclusion in decision-making is a conflict of visibility, voice, and agency.

🗣️ What Is Communication?

Communication is not simply the act of speaking or sending a message. It is the process of creating shared understanding. It involves a sender, a message, a medium, and a receiver—but also noise, context, and feedback. It includes:

  • Verbal and non-verbal expressions

  • Written, visual, or symbolic cues

  • Digital interactions shaped by tone, emojis, platform, and timing

💥 When Does Communication Misfire?

Communication fails not only because of what is said, but because of how, when, where, and why it is said. Consider:


A message not received as intended has not been communicated, even if it was sent.

💡 Can “Politeness” Be Aggressive?

Yes. Politeness can mask hostility, resistance, or condescension. This is known as passive-aggressive communication.
Examples include:

  • Saying “Bless your heart” when angry

  • Smiling during dismissal

  • Saying “I understand” but taking no action

In many African cultures, social norms discourage open disagreement, especially with elders. This often leads to conflict deferment, not resolution. What appears as peace is often buried resentment.

🧬 Conflict as a Mirror of Social Structure

Conflict doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It is deeply tied to social inequalities, historic grievances, and identity politics. Communication becomes a battleground for:

  • Gender-based silencing

  • Ethnic stereotyping

  • Ideological polarization

  • Religious intolerance

For example, during the #EndSARS protests, communication between youth protesters and government spokespersons broke down not just due to poor messaging, but because of generational distrust, socioeconomic inequality, and power imbalance. Every word was filtered through the lens of identity, suspicion, and historical disappointment.

🧰 Summary Points:

  • Conflict is not always loud—it can be silent, polite, or strategic.

  • Communication is not just transmission; it is negotiated meaning.

  • Miscommunication arises from noise, power, culture, and context.

  • Understanding conflict requires recognising the structures that create inequality.

  • Peaceful communication is not simply about calm language but about justice, inclusion, and clarity.

Now that you have learned this, here is a fun assessment to help you recall your mastery:

  1. Think of a situation where silence communicated conflict. Can you now tell what were the hidden messages?

  2. Have you ever misinterpreted a message due to cultural or digital "noise"? What happened?

  3. In your opinion, which is harder to manage: explicit conflict or hidden conflict?

🧩 Final Takeaway:

Conflict is not the enemy. It is a sign that communication is needed. 

Our goal as comms experts is not to silence conflict but to understand and manage it constructively.

📖 Core Reading for This Week:

  • Abubakar, U. I., Ibrahim, A. M., & Ibrahim, A. T. (2025). Mediating Conflict versus Peacebuilding through the Lens of Journalism: A Nigerian Perspective on Conflict-Sensitive Reporting. education, 16(1). 

  • Adepoju, A., & Abiodun, A. I. (2016). Peacebuilding and conflict resolution: A mechanism for sustainable development in post-authoritarian Nigeria. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 34(1), 28.

  • Egbusie, P. O., & Albert, M. O. (2021). Peacebuilding in a Conflict-Torn North–Eastern Nigerian Society: Going beyond reconstructive peacebuilding. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 5(11), 117-123.


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