Women’s dialogic encounters: agonistic listening and emotions in multiple-identity conflicts

Abstract

Using data collected from a dialogue meeting in Turkey of 19 women participants with different ideological orientations, ethnicities and sects, as well as 10 in-depth follow-up interviews, this article explores the dynamics of listening and emotions in dialogue in multiple-identity conflicts. Considering listening as an important component of agonistic peace, the article aims to understand the conditions that help or hinder listening and one’s perception of being listened to in the face of weighty emotions in the context of women’s dialogic encounters. The article shows that agonistic listening facilitates the expression of emotions and views, and an interest in Other’s story, while an attitude of care stemming from previous experience of working together on women’s issues may help transform the antagonistic Other into an agonistic one. However, agonistic listening does not lead to significant perspective change and entails only a temporary suspension of one’s categories to lend the Other an attentive ear; it is a conception of listening that recognises the temporary and limited character of listening and the place of emotions in dialogue with the Other.

Keywords:

• Agonistic peace
• agonistic listening
• multiple-identity conflicts
• women
• Turkey

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zeynep Gülru Göker

Zeynep Gülru Göker is Assistant Professor and Researcher at Sabanci University Gender and Women’s Studies Center of Excellence, Istanbul. She holds a PhD in political science from the City University of New York Graduate Center (2011), with a specialisation in political theory. Her research focuses on deliberative democracy, gender and politics, gender equality and the politics of care. Some of her work has appeared in journals such as the European Journal of Women’s Studies, Women’s Studies International Forum, New Perspectives on Turkey and Action Research.

Ayşe Betül Çelik

Ayşe Betül Çelik is Professor of political science and conflict resolution in Sabanci University’s Political Science and International Relations programme. She has previously been a visiting scholar at the American University (2009) and the University of Sydney (2013). Her research focuses on intergroup relations, peace processes, forced migration, and gender in peacemaking and peacebuilding, with a specific focus on Turkey’s Kurdish issue. Her work has appeared in journals such as Human Rights Quarterly, Journal of Refugee Studies, Europe–Asia Studies, International Migration, Security Dialogue, South European Society and Politics, European Journal of Women’s Studies, International Journal of Intercultural Relations and Cooperation and Conflict.