This article is an extract of a comparative study on Identity, Culture and Conflict in Refugee (Oruchinga Valley) and Returnee Communities (Gulu) in Uganda. The study is mainly qualitative in design, with quantitative data provided to show the amplitude of the issues that returnees struggle with. As an in-depth investigation into the 'returning home process', the study uses respondents' personal narratives to explain not just the behaviour or opinions of returnees but also their context within the transitory post-conflict period. The study employs mainly qualitative research methods drawn… Read more

The Evolution of the Conversation Analytic Role-play Method The Conversation Analytic Role-play Method, or CARM, is an approach to communication training based on conversation analytic (CA) research. CA studies recordings of real-time interaction and the activities that comprise it; the way those activities are designed, and how different designs lead to different outcomes. Focusing on both spoken and embodied (e.g., gaze, gesture) resources, CA investigates the organizational structure and sequence of different phases of talk, such as openings or closings, as well as the organization and… Read more

In Northern Ireland, the complexities of literary fiction are embraced for their capacity to unite. Every week, I read literature with female prisoners at a Belfast prison. We read aloud and discuss short stories, novels and poetry. This evokes emotional responses, reflections on personal experiences and memories of things that are not often easily accessible. It is, for all of us, a deeply engaging reading experience. The literature we read and the resulting discussions also generate conflicts within the group, highlighting social and personal differences. The conflict and recognition of… Read more