ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to address the challenges of cohabitation when there are conditions of mutual loathing, disgust, and separation, as exemplified in various political, religious, and social venues in contemporary times. Relevant approaches are divided into three segments, Relational Engagement, Finding Common Ground, and Engaging in Transformative Potentials. The theoretical overview emphasizes a relational approach to understanding conflictual events and, within this social constructionist perspective, explores the contributions of positioning theory and interpretations dependent upon the metaphor of the rhizome, as well as the limits of attitudinal approaches to this issue. The bulk of the chapter is given over to specific forms of action that can be useful in helping to shift from dissonant to more harmonious outcomes. These outcomes can be achieved without sacrificing facets of difference that result from the existence of plural moralities. The chapter concludes with a commentary on social constructionism as a helpmate in advancing the cause of civility in a world of different and often conflicting moral positions.
