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Start Talking: A Handbook for Engaging Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education
Landis, Kay Jenkins, Patricia Roderick, Libby Banchero, Paola Dede, John
Landis, Kay
Jenkins, Patricia
Roderick, Libby
Banchero, Paola
Dede, John
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Abstract
“Civil Discourse Under Fire”
You probably won’t see the above words as a headline in your morning newspaper any time soon,
but it’s happening nonetheless. Civil discourse seems to be in trouble. The art of respectful argument
and the effort to find mutual solutions seem to be losing ground. Our public debates on critical issues
are filled with sound bites instead of substance, and our popular culture seems motivated more by the
desire to dominate and win than by the commitment to learn, understand, seek common ground,
or persuade.
There’s trouble in the Academy too. Faculty members are challenged for bringing gender,
religion, science, or politics into their classrooms. Students find themselves marginalized or even
attacked for their world views or religious beliefs. Outbursts that aren’t managed effectively can
leave students feeling threatened and faculty feeling out of control, turning class discussions into
emotionally or spiritually destructive experiences instead of the learning experiences they are
meant to be.
Civil discourse is the cornerstone of the
university experience, and our classrooms
and laboratories are ideal venues for
teaching it. As standard practice, we
challenge our assumptions, question what
we know, and seek new understanding
rather than rigidly defending what we have
developed in the past. In this process of
inquiry, we rely on critical thinking,
inclusiveness, tolerance, and respect to
create new knowledge and reframe old
tenets to the emerging world.
Universities show students how to
transcend the boundaries of their own
perceptions, and engage respectfully with
new ideas. Now, as ever, this may be higher
education’s most important role. Now is
the time, and our campuses are the place, to
rebuild a culture of civil discourse.
Description
Date
2008-01-01
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Publisher
University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University
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Keywords
teaching, learning, difficult dialogues