Deliberative Democracy in Higher Education: The Role of Critical Spaces Across Universities

Abstract

The capacity of democracies to serve as venues for the free expression of ideas and opinions has become threatened by discourse and debate in the global media that is ill-informed and unjustified while human suffering and inequities continue to plague the planet.  This situation calls for scholars and universities to take greater initiative on behalf of the social good beyond the ivory tower.  To this end, the application of deliberative democracy as a method for critical spaces in and across universities is explored.  Such spaces would harness the potential of scholarship for social change by explicitly considering both multi-disciplinary knowledge and values to address global problems and counter neoliberal trends in higher education and societies generally.A theoretical model for scholarly deliberation in critical spaces is elaborated in four stages, culminating in the advancement of proposals for social change to the public sphere.

Reflective structured dialogue as a tool for addressing wicked public health problems

“…Together, the quantitative data and participant comments suggest that, as in previous studies, RSD helped participants create connections and understand different perspectives ( 15 , 21 ). This study also helps demonstrate how deliberative inquiry can contribute to student learning in higher education setting ( 12 ). These empirical findings are useful in supporting the theoretical justifications made about the value of RSD and other types of dialogue in building trust and understanding between diverse groups as a prerequisite to problem-solving ( 16 – 18 ).…”

“…As institutions designed for learning and growth, universities are an ideal setting to serve as “critical spaces” in which students and scholars participate in deliberative inquiry on shared problems ( 12 , 13 ). This can occur through a structured process of open and respectful dialogue where participants consider knowledge from various disciplines along with the underlying values that inform their views ( 12 , 13 ).…”

Academic Third Mission through Community Engagement: An Empirical Study in European Universities

“…The Academic Third Mission refers to the engagement of universities with their local communities through activities such as research, education, and services [5,23]. Public engagement, or the involvement of citizens in these activities, is crucial for the success of the Third Mission [35]. However, the results of the current study indicate that there are a number of challenges to effective public engagement in tertiary education.…”

“…Fourth, in order to prevent conflicts of interest, universities should have a clear policy in place to identify and address such situations. This can include the establishment of a conflict-of-interest committee, the implementation of a code of conduct, and the provision of training to staff and stakeholders on how to handle conflicts of interest [33,35]. Finally, universities should conduct regular evaluations of the participatory process to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the needs and priorities of citizens are being met.…”

“…Participation focuses on empowering citizens to take action. Deliberation focuses on discussion and debate between citizens and other stakeholders [35,36]. The process involves community members in a structured and informed discussion to identify and evaluate options and make collective decisions [25,37].…”