Dialogue
Why is dialogue important?
Dialogue and deliberation are important civic skills and tools for creating a stronger democracy. Participation in dialogue can lead to the mind-sets and skill sets necessary for addressing complex social and public policy issues. Those who participate in dialogue achieve a variety of outcomes such as developing mutual understanding, negotiation of competing values, and taking collaborative action (Carcasson & Sprain, 2016).
Surveys of young people in recent years have indicated that while young people are speaking to their peers about elections and politics, a majority of students said they were reluctant to discuss politics, race, and other controversial topics in class settings (Stiksma, 2021).
Engage in Dialogue at UNCG
Deliberative Dialogue Moderator Training for Staff & Faculty
To further the culture and practice of deliberative pedagogy on campus, the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement has trained a group of staff and faculty that are able to moderate deliberative dialogues. Please direct any questions to Kristina Gage, Associate Director for Civic Engagement, kmsnader(at)uncg.edu.
Spartans in Dialogue – Sustained Dialogue
The Office of Intercultural Engagement offers a 5-week interactive dialogue experience called Spartans-in-Dialogue designed to build relationships across difference. Students who want to participate and staff or faculty who are interested in facilitating can find more information on their website.
Ashby Dialogues
The College of Arts & Sciences hosts Ashby Dialogues to implement the vision of the late Warren Ashby that the University should be a community of inquiry, with faculty and students engaged in the pursuit of understanding both in and out of the classroom. Learn more about upcoming and past dialogues on their website.
Dialogue models & guides
- Braver Angels
- Everyday Democracy
- Deliberative Dialogue Forums (National Issues Forum)
- Intergroup Dialogue
- Living Room Conversations
- Sustained Dialogue
“To thrive, democracy must involve the full participation of all of us.”
Creating Space for Democracy: A Primer on Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education, Edited by Nicholas Longo and Timothy Shaffer (2019)
References
Carcasson, Martin & Sprain, Leah. (2015). Beyond Problem Solving: Reconceptualizing the Work of Public Deliberation as Deliberative Inquiry. Communication Theory. 26. 10.1111/comt.12055.
Stiksma, M. (2021). Understanding the Campus Expression Climate: Fall 2020. Heterodox Academy
