Deliberative Dialogue Discussions

This section offers a framework for connecting course content to a real-world policy, and for facilitating a deliberative dialogue discussion where students explore their stance on a critical civic issue. The resources offer tools to facilitate discussions that can be customized for courses across the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and STEM. The goal of the discussion is to empower students to see the connections between their stances on discipline-specific issues that affect them and the importance of voting. 

grant opportunity

Apply for the Civic and Voter Engagement Fellowship, a $1,000 award for faculty and staff to implement Periclean Civic Engagement Resources through a humanities lens in Spring- Fall 2024.

What is Deliberative Dialogue?

Scott London (Kettering Foundation), in his essay titled “Thinking Together: The Power of Deliberative Dialogue” defines deliberative dialogue as “a form of discussion aimed at finding the best course of action.” He then goes on to elaborate:
"Deliberative questions take the form 'What should we do?' The purpose is not so much to solve a problem or resolve an issue as to explore the most promising avenues for action. Deliberative dialogue differs from other forms of public discourse — such as debate, negotiation, brainstorming, consensus-building — because the objective is not so much to talk together as to think together, not so much to reach a conclusion as to discover where a conclusion might lie… In this spirit, deliberative dialogue among a group of people is aimed at establishing a framework for mutual understanding and a common purpose that transcends mere ideas and opinions. While it may not produce consensus, it can produce collective insight and judgment reflecting the thinking of the group as a whole — personal disagreements notwithstanding.”

Faculty Facilitator Guide

This document offers a template for incorporating a deliberative dialogue discussion in the curriculum and guidelines for facilitating civil discussions on difficult or controversial topics. This activity can be used independently and ideally in conjunction with topics on the syllabus. The goal of this module is that students will explore the connection between discipline-specific content and its relation to policy, elected officials, and voting. 

Discussion Topics

This document contains deliberative dialogue discussion topics and resources that faculty can integrate into courses. The prompts provide a framework for incorporating discussions about the influence of policy, elected officials, and the importance of voting into the curriculum. Discussion participants also learn to listen and understand those with diverse perspectives. Each topic includes discussion prompts, issue stances, and supplemental resources.

Additional Resources

Why Facilitate a Deliberative Dialogue Discussion in Class?  ​
This is a critical time for our democracy and it is particularly vital that our students understand their role in making a difference in society, which begins with voting. In the recently released 2020 Election Imperatives report, the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tisch College at Tufts University, offers twelve recommendations for Faculty, Chief Academic Officers, Provosts, Deans, and Chairs to “the cause of promoting political learning and electoral participation.” Three recommendations are to “carve out classroom time to teach students how to vote, build and maintain community and social cohesion within your classroom and department, and teach the policy questions for each field. Every discipline has public relevance.”
Additional Facilitator Resources
Sample Presentations
This work builds on the successes of the Turn Up Turnout Workshops at the University of Michigan with Democracy Works. Analysis of the workshop’s evaluations showed evidence that these discussions provide a great benefit to students. It empowered them to see the connections between the issues that affect them, their elected officials, and the importance of voting.

add Periclean civic engagement resources to your drive.

​You can also access all of Project Pericles' original civic engagement resources on Google Drive. When downloading the Google Drive folder, all files will be saved in Microsoft Office friendly formats, such as Word Documents and Powerpoint presentations. 
This project is supported by the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and the Mellon Foundation, with additional support from The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the Teagle Foundation, the SLSV Coalition, and Up to Us/Net Impact. Special thanks to collaborators: Periclean Faculty Leaders, Project Pericles Program Directors, Faculty Fellows, and members of the SLSV Coalition.
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​​Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or suggestions about our civic engagement resources.