Description
Book SynopsisThere are ways of being in the world that create a flourishing life and other ways that restrict that life, both for ourselves and others. Listening is one of these ways of being. Listening gives shape to speaking, inviting other people into a dialogue that impacts our everyday lives. Our acts of listening, like all communication, are shaped by our cultural and individual differences. Unfortunately, as people consider ways to ethically listen, they often abide by a set of conversational rules that do not reflect or benefit their own or others' unique contexts and communities.
In this book, Parks responds to gaps in scholarship related to listening in communication research and difference in ethics scholarship. Rather than imposing a rigid ethical norm that is unresponsive to diverse cultural practices, her proposed listening ethic is one that is highly contextualized and pluralistic and yet dares to make normative claims. Using discourse research methods that ar
Trade ReviewMost of the work on communication ethics has focused on the discourse responsibilities of the speaker. With this impressive book, Parks provides a valuable function in bridging that gap with her focus on the discourse responsibilities of the listener. As communicators, she stresses, we have the ethical responsibility to listen well. Situating the process of listening in collaborative dialogue, her study of listening across differences offers a strong case for how “listening matters.” -- Andrew Wolvin, University of Maryland
Elizabeth Parks thoughtfully connects narrative dialogue and learning to listening. She unfolds a conception of listening that is open to the text of the Other without imposition upon the Other. The interplay of learning, dialogue, narrative, and listening pivots upon the pragmatic performative metaphor of difference, framing an ethics of listening. -- Ronald C. Arnett, Duquesne University, author of Levinas's Rhetorical Demand: The Unending Obligation of Communication Ethics
Theoretically sophisticated and empirically grounded, The Ethics of Listening brings communication research into a new phase. Informed by fifty years of research in listening, Parks breaks new ground by decolonizing that research. Listening is an object of study, as Parks describes the processes of listening she observes in diverse communities. Listening is also her research methodology: in listening to diverse communities, she creates new models for listening practice and a new vision for ethical listening. The Ethics of Listening is valuable for its insights into listening, to be sure, but it is innovative as a model for communication research methods. -- David E. Beard, University of Minnesota Duluth
Just when you think you know what listening is, Parks comes along and provides a fresh perspective. Her work in identifying 10 listening values that transcend cross-cultural discourse is both contemporary and relevant. Parks helps us understand what makes us human. A must read for teachers, trainers, scholars, and humans! -- Laura Janusik, Rockhurst University
Although culture-specific approaches to listening have been acknowledged by research, the specifics of the challenges and options of a dialogic listening ethic have not been carved out. Parks offers a validated and insightful tableau of how to create the space for meaningful and healthy discourse through mindful listening. -- Margarete Imhof, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Importance of Ethical Listening
Chapter 2: The Power of Difference and Values that Unite
Chapter 3: Take Off Your Armor and Bring Down the Walls: Adopting a Listening Posture
Chapter 4: Dolls and Cages: Listening as Investment and Care
Chapter 5: Deep Listening: Remembering and Responding with Intentional Focus
Chapter 6: Hyenas and Chickens: Listening as Invitation
Chapter 7: Hope for Sustainable Hospitality
