Dialogue Across Difference
INTRODUCTION
How do we communicate with those with whom we disagree? Is dialogue across party lines–or other divides–possible in a political community as fractured as ours? And if so, what, if anything, can such dialogues accomplish?
While dialogue has long preoccupied scholars of democracy, these sorts of questions have returned to the fore in the United States in the aftermath of the 2016 elections. Since then, bridging organizations–organizations that aim to strengthen social connections–have emerged to show that dialogue across difference is both possible and critically important to democracy. Some draw on the work of international organizations that focus on conflict resolution/peacemaking; for them, structured dialogues are meant to help participants in a conflict understand the other side. Other bridging organizations focus on citizen engagement in government through deliberative practices. Instead of attempting to heal fractured relationships, these efforts are more problem-oriented; participants deliberate together to make recommendations on a proposed public policy. There are many other models, as well. Indeed, a 2024 NYTimes article describes the proliferation of such groups as “evidence that bridge-building has become the hot new concept in a country looking for hope.”
No matter the form they take, these interventions teach and advocate for a set of interpersonal skills to help people work through disagreement. These practices can be utilized in a variety of contexts: boardrooms, dinner tables, Youtube comment sections, or town hall meetings, to name just a few collective settings (see the collective settings module for more on these spaces). Educational spaces, however, provide a unique opportunity to practice productive dialogues across difference through, as visiting SNF Agora Fellow AY 24-25 Dr. Leila Brammer describes, “creating a container” for disagreement. For Brammer, something as simple as asking each person to first share their personal stake or interest in a contentious topic can help mitigate the kind of vitriol often associated with heated debates.
More generally, though, bridging organizations can help mitigate some of the problems that hyper-polarization poses for all democracies, including ours. The remainder of this module draws on the expertise of SNF Agora scholars and practitioners to articulate the contours of the problem along with offering participants a chance to practice the civic skills–listening and speaking in conversation–critical to solving it.
Dialogue Across Difference Learning Module
The learning module includes a short overview of the public problem, highlights and defines key concepts, sketches the causes and consequences of the problem, outlines ways that researchers and practitioners have effectively tackled the problem, and lists resources for further study. It also provides teaching materials to be used with groups of learners, including the following: Each guide contains ready-to-use example lessons for exploring problems and cultivating relevant civic skills, including contemporary case studies. All sources referenced in the curriculum guide are linked. This section also includes additional resources for multimedia explorations of the topic, including books, videos, podcasts, articles, and other learning activities.
