Resolving Community Conflicts and Problems: Public Deliberation and Sustained Dialogue

Public deliberation and group discussion can strengthen the foundations of civil society, even when the groups engaged in debate share a history of animosity. Scholars have begun to study the dialogue sustaining these conversations, especially its power to unite and divide groups and individuals. The twenty-four essays in this collection analyze public exchanges and the nature of sustained dialogue within the context of race relations, social justice, ethnic conflicts, public-safety issues, public management, community design, and family therapy. They particularly focus on college campuses and the networks of organizations and actors that have found success there. Open discussion may seem like an idealistic if not foolhardy gesture in such milieus, yet in fact the practice proves crucial to establishing and reinforcing civic harmony.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction: Sustained Dialogue and Public Deliberation: The Role of Public Conversation in a Growing Civil Society and Commons, by Roger Lohmann, Jon Van Til, and Dolly Ford Section 1. Basic Statements Introduction 1. The Structure of Sustained Dialogue and Public Deliberation, by Jon Van Til 2. The Sustained Dialogue Model: Transforming Relationships, Designing Change, by Harold H. Saunders and Priya Narayan Parker 3. Sustained Dialogue in Action, by Harold H. Saunders and Priya Narayan Parker 4. Sustained Dialogue and Public Deliberation: Making the Connection, by David Robinson 5. Let's Talk: Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education, by Lisa Bedinger 6. Deliberation, Dialogue, and Deliberative Democracy in Social Work Education and Practice, by Roger A. Lohmann and Nancy Lohmann Section 2. Sustained Dialogue in Practice Introduction 7. Diving In: A Handbook for Improving Race Relations on College Campuses Through the Process of Sustained Dialogue, by David Tukey and Teddy Nemeroff 8. Derry Exceptionalism and an Organic Model of Sustained Dialogue, by Nick Acheson and Carl Milofsky 9. The Role of Dialogue in Achieving Social Justice at a Large Public University, by Jennifer McIntosh and Charles Morris 10. A Public Safety Process: Sustained Dialogue for Situational Policing, by James J. Nolan, Norman Conti, and Corey Colyer 11. Facilitating Neighborhood Growth: A Commonsense Approach to Public Safety from the Relational Paradigm, by James J. Nolan, Ronald Althouse, and Jeri Kirby Section 3. Public Deliberation in Practice Introduction 12. The Deliberative Posture, by David Ryfe 13. Public Deliberation and Dialogue in Public Management, by David G. Williams 14. Deliberation and Dialogue and Commons Theory, by Roger A. Lohmann 15. Question Mapping: A Method for Organizing and Sustaining Dialogue, by Richard F. Ludeman and Erna Gelles 16. Applying Family Therapy Principles to the Body Politic Through Sustained Dialogue, by Neal Newfield and Susan Newfield Section 4. Building Practice and Research Introduction 17. Social Entrepreneurship in the Practice of Deliberation and Dialogue, by Roger A. Lohmann 18. The Future of Deliberation and Dialogue Studies, by Jon Van Til and Dolly Ford List of Contributors Appendix: Core Principles for Public Engagement References Index