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Communicating Forgiveness
- Vincent R. Waldron - Arizona State University, USA
- Douglas L. Kelley - Arizona State University, USA
Other Titles in:
Couples, Marriage & Family Counselling | Psychology (General) | Speech Communication (General)
Couples, Marriage & Family Counselling | Psychology (General) | Speech Communication (General)
November 2007 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Communicating Forgiveness provides a synthesis of the literature on forgiveness in relationships, with special emphasis on the central but understudied role of interpersonal communication. Authors Vincent Waldron and Douglas Kelley define forgiveness as a communication process which allows partners to confront relational wrong doing, manage intense emotional responses, forgo legitimate claims to revenge, and potentially repair the relationship. They see forgiveness as a positive, hopeful alternative to estrangement, bitterness and retribution. By focusing on communication behaviors and offering research-based guidance on effective forgiveness practices, the authors present an alternative to the prevailing psychological frameworks. Communicating Forgiveness offers new insights to anyone interested in the dynamics of personal and work relationships, conflict management, relational justice, family functioning, and related topics.
Preface
1. Conceptual Foundations
2. Elements of the Forgiveness Process
3. Theorizing Forgiveness
4. Communicating Forgiveness
5. Practicing Forgiveness
6. Studying Forgiveness: Methodological Conundrums and Transformational Experiences
Appendices
References
Index
About the Authors
"Waldron and Kelley successfully weave in examples from their qualitiative studies to illustrate various forgivemess concepts. The qualitative approach is a nice complement to the mostly quantitative work done in personal relationships. The authors provide insight into important methodological considerations such as conceptual definitions of forgiveness and measurement issues. The book fits nicely with the positive psychology movement. I found it refreshing to see a book that tackles how people can recover from such serious transgressions."
PsycCRITIQUES