A study of the role of communication in the creation of a more just society

Due to continuing immigration and increasing racial and ethnic inclusiveness, higher education institutions in the United States are likely to grow ever more diverse in the 21st century. This shift holds both promise and peril: Increased inter-ethnic contact could lead to a more fruitful learning environment that encourages collaboration. On the other hand, social identity and on-campus diversity remain hotly contested issues that often raise intergroup tensions and inhibit discussion. How can we help diverse students learn from each other and gain the competencies they will need in an increasingly multicultural America? Dialogue Across Difference synthesizes three years’ worth of research from an innovative field experiment focused on improving intergroup understanding, relationships and collaboration. The result is a fascinating study of the potential of intergroup dialogue to improve relations across race and gender. First developed in the late 1980s, intergroup dialogues bring together an equal number of students from two different groups – such as people of color and white people, or women and men – to share their perspectives and learn from each other. To test the possible impact of such courses and to develop a standard of best practice, the authors of Dialogue Across Difference incorporated various theories of social psychology, higher education, communication studies and social work to design and implement a uniform curriculum in nine universities across the country. Unlike most studies on intergroup dialogue, this project employed random assignment to enroll more than 1,450 students in experimental and control groups, including in 26 dialogue courses and control groups on race and gender each. Students admitted to the dialogue courses learned about racial and gender inequalities through readings, role-play activities and personal reflections. The authors tracked students’ progress using a mixed-method approach, including longitudinal surveys, content analyses of student papers, interviews of students, and videotapes of sessions. The results are heartening: Over the course of a term, students who participated in intergroup dialogues developed more insight into how members of other groups perceive the world. They also became more thoughtful about the structural underpinnings of inequality, increased their motivation to bridge differences and intergroup empathy, and placed a greater value on diversity and collaborative action. The authors also note that the effects of such courses were evident on nearly all measures. While students did report an initial increase in negative emotions – a possible indication of the difficulty of openly addressing race and gender – that effect was no longer present a year after the course. Overall, the results are remarkably consistent and point to an optimistic conclusion: intergroup dialogue is more than mere talk. It fosters productive communication about and across differences in the service of greater collaboration for equity and justice. Ambitious and timely, Dialogue Across Difference presents a persuasive practical, theoretical and empirical account of the benefits of intergroup dialogue. The data and research presented in this volume offer a useful model for improving relations among different groups not just in the college setting but in the United States as well.

Co-published with Intergroup dialogue has emerged as an effective educational and community building method to bring together members of diverse social and cultural groups to engage in learning together so that they may work collectively and individually to promote greater diversity, equality and justice. Intergroup dialogues bring together individuals from different identity groups (such as people of color and white people; women and men; lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and heterosexual people), and uses explicit pedagogy that involves three important features: content learning, structured interaction, and facilitative guidance. The least understood role in the pedagogy is that of facilitation. This volume, the first dedicated entirely to intergroup dialogue facilitation, draws on the experiences of contributors and on emerging research to address the multi-dimensional role of facilitators and co-facilitators, the training and support of facilitators, and ways of improving practice in both educational and community settings. It constitutes a comprehensive guide for practitioners, covering the theoretical, conceptual, and practical knowledge they need. Presenting the work and insights of scholars, practitioners and scholar-practitioners who train facilitators for intergroup dialogues, this book bridges the theoretical and conceptual foundations of intergroup relations and social justice education with training models for intergroup dialogue facilitation. It is intended for staff, faculty, and administrators in higher education, and community agencies, as well as for human resources departments in workplaces. Contributors:Charles Behling, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, The Program on Intergroup RelationsBarry Checkoway, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, School of Social WorkMark Chesler, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, The Program on Intergroup RelationsKeri De Jong, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, School of EducationRoger Fisher, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, The Program on Intergroup RelationsNichola G. FulmerPatricia Gurin, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, The Program on Intergroup RelationsTanya Kachwaha, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, School of EducationChristina Kelleher, Institute for Sustained Dialogue, Sustained Dialogue Campus NetworkAriel Kirkland, Occidental College, Student facilitatorJames Knauer, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, Democracy LabJoycelyn Landrum-Brown, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Program on Intergroup RelationsShaquanda D. Lindsey, Occidental College, Student facilitatorDavid J. Martineau, Washington University, St. Louis, School of Social WorkKelly E. MaxwellBiren (Ratnesh) A. NagdaTeddy Nemeroff, Institute for Sustained Dialogue, Sustained Dialogue Campus NetworkRomina Pacheco, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, School of EducationPriya Parker, Institute for Sustained Dialogue, Sustained Dialogue Campus NetworkJaclyn Rodríguez, Occidental College, Department of PsychologyAndrea C. Rodríguez-Scheel, Occidental College, Student facilitatorMichael S. Spencer, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, School of Social WorkMonita C. ThompsonNorma TimbangThai Hung V. TranCarolyn Vasques-Scalera, Independent Scholar Thomas E. Walker, University of Denver, Center for Multicultural ExcellenceKathleen Wong (Lau), Arizona State University/Western Michigan University, Intergroup Relations Center/Intercultural CommunicationAnna M. Yeakley, Independent Intergroup Dialogue ConsultantXimena Zúñiga, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, School of Education

Introduction to Intergroup Dialogues provides students and facilitators with an exemplary resource for learning about and conducting intergroup dialogues. The anthology weaves classic texts within the discipline with illuminating reflection and comprehension questions. The readings are designed to support student learning of social justice education concepts, as well as intergroup dialogue skills and techniques, as they move through the dialogue experiences. The book is divided into four units, which reflect the stages of intergroup dialogue: forming and building relationships; exploring group differences and commonalities; exploring hot topics; and building alliances and planning for action. In Unit I, readings outline the origins, learning outcomes, and structure of intergroup dialogue, and introduce students to a key pedagogical technique-affirming inquiry. Unit II contains readings on social identity, group membership, socialization, oppression, and their manifestations. Unit III provides resources to support students' navigation through pressing social issues that can illuminate how we think and communicate about difference at the individual, institutional, and structural levels. In Unit IV, students read about allyship, coalition building, accountability, and self- and community care. Finally, they are encouraged to consider how to apply what they've learned in dialogue outside the classroom.

Intergroup dialogue is a form of democratic engagement that fosters communication, critical reflection, and collaborative action across social and cultural divides. Engaging social identities is central to this approach. In recent years, intergroup dialogue has emerged as a promising social justice education practice that addresses pressing issues in higher education, school and community settings. This edited volume provides a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of intergroup dialogue spanning conceptual frameworks for practice, and most notably a diverse set of research studies which examine in detail the processes and learning that take place through dialogue. This book addresses questions from the fields of education, social psychology, sociology, and social work, offering specific recommendations and examples related to curriculum and pedagogy. Furthermore, it contributes to an understanding of how to constructively engage students and others in education about difference, identities, and social justice. This book was originally published as a special issue of Equity & Excellence in Education.

In order both to prepare for an increasingly diverse society and to help students navigate diverse learning environments, many institutions of higher education have developed programs that support student learning and competencies around inter- and intra-group relations.Facilitating Change through Intergroup Dialogue: Social Justice Advocacy in Practicetraces the impact of Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) courses on faculty, staff, and peer-facilitators who delivered Skidmore College's IGD curricula over a five-year period. Through a series of in-depth qualitative interviews and auto-ethnographies, this book explores how former IGD facilitators are applying what they learned to their personal and professional lives three to five years post-college. By exploring facilitators' application of IGD skills, understanding of social justice, and the challenges inherent in this work,Facilitating Change through Intergroup Dialogueoffers concrete strategies for supporting undergraduate students in their enduring efforts towards justice.

All too often, race discourse in the United States devolves into shouting matches, silence, or violence, all of which are mirrored in today’s classrooms. This book will help individuals develop the skills needed to facilitate difficult dialogues across race in high school and college classrooms, in teacher professional learning communities, and beyond. The authors codify best practices in race dialogue facilitation by drawing on decades of research and examples from their own practices. They share their mistakes and hard-earned lessons to help readers avoid common pitfalls. Through their concrete lesson plans and hands-on material, both experienced and novice facilitators can immediately use this inclusive and wide-ranging curriculum in a variety of classrooms, work spaces, and organizations with diverse participants. “Race Dialogues: A Facilitator?s Guide to Tackling the Elephant in the Classroom is a scholarly, timely, and urgently needed book. While there is other literature on facilitation of intergroup dialogues, none are so deeply and effectively focused on race—the elephant in the room.” —From the foreword by Patricia Gurin, Nancy Cantor Distinguished University Professor and Emeritus Research Director, University of Michigan “This brilliant book is a gold mine of wisdom and resources for teachers, facilitators, and student dialogue leaders. It summarizes, explains, and elaborates upon everything I have ever been taught about what makes for great facilitation. With experience and compassion, the authors have written a clear, user-friendly guide to facilitation of race dialogue for both youth and adults. I will recommend this book to every facilitator and teacher I train or hire.” —Ali Michael, director of the Race Institute for K–12 Educators and author of Raising Race Questions: Whiteness and Inquiry in Education