Difficult Neighborhoods: The Semiotics of Conflict in Culture, Literature, and Language

Abstract

As we go about our daily lives, we face diverging views, values, and cultures. When these diverging views and values collide, we inevitably face conflicts, creating situations that require us to navigate a “difficult neighborhood.” This book examines the symptoms of conflict in culture, literature, and language that emerge as we enter such challenging neighborhoods. It features original research studies that examine the semiotics and pragmatics of conflict in various discourses of borders and neighborhoods—geographical, political, ethnic, religious, and linguistic—as expressed in widely understood cultural texts. With this diverse scope in mind, we hope to have cleared the horizon assisting readers to understand and approach various conflicts in a more creative, humane, innovative, and objective manner.