Facilitated difficult dialogues on racism: a goal-based approach

Abstract

Mary Campbell and the TAMU Anti-Racism for generously sharing the vignettes that were used in the difficult dialogues. They are grateful to Aggie Agora, the expert facilitators, the difficult dialogue session participants for their support and inputs in shaping this dialogue series. They also sincerely thank Madeline Culver, Josh Harms, and Karen Banks for their assistance.

Towards decoloniality in a social work programme: a process of dialogue, reflexivity, action and change

“…The workshop started with discussion and agreement on rules and norms for engagement in preparation for difficult conversations (Ramasubramanian, Sousa & Gonlin 2017). The first two days were composed of presentations by invited academicsexternal to the department and known for their work in the field of decoloniality -followed by in-depth reflection and an interrogation of ideas.…”

Leadership First: Reimagining DEI Together

“…Based on their research (Ramasubramanian et al, 2017) found that it is important to take a goal-based social identity approach to designing such dialogues by selecting appropriate communication elements (such as localized vignettes, shared ground rules, trained facilitators, and role-play techniques) to suit the differing needs and goals of the racial/ethnic identifies. When designed well such approaches can encourage critical thinking, to reflect on diverse perspectives, create greater empathy, help form alliances across multiple groups to work collectively towards a common goal and motivate everyone to make a personal commitment to be agents of change within their circles of influence (p. 18).…”

Building an Inclusive Climate for Intercultural Dialogue: A Participant‐Generated Framework

“…As Ramasubramanian et al. () points out, intercultural dialogues “provide multiple voices, at different levels, the opportunity to enter the conversation” (p. 540). She recommends that instead of a prescriptive response created by officials, dialogues should be a collective process in which multiple parties are involved in addressing issues and finding ways to deal with them.…”

“…If enough people in a community or an organization are participating regularly in dialogue groups, they will be ready to help defuse crises when they happen, and they will also help educate the larger population of the organization about diversity and inclusion issues. As Ramasubramanian et al (2017) points out, intercultural dialogues "provide multiple voices, at different levels, the opportunity to enter the conversation" (p. 540). She recommends that instead of a prescriptive response created by officials, dialogues should be a collective process in which multiple parties are involved in addressing issues and finding ways to deal with them.…”

“…In recent years, more attention has been given to cultural considerations in dialogue and to the dynamics of intercultural dialogue, in which issues of culture, ethnicity, race, and other differences tend to create divisions between people (see Adair, ; Adair, Taylor, & Tinsley, ; Adler & Aycan, ; Broome, ; Dasli & Diaz, ; DeTurk, ; Ganesh & Holmes, ; Groff, ; Holmes, ; Jackson, ; Leeds‐Hurwitz, ; Ramasubramanian, Sousa, & Gonlin, ). Although there are challenges inherent in any dialogic setting, intercultural dialogue is often characterized by tension, anxiety, defensiveness, and misunderstanding.…”