ABSTRACT

This study explores the conversational receptiveness strategies that are intentionally embedded in the Braver Angels organization’s Red/Blue Workshops. These workshops facilitate difficult conversations across the political divide in the United States, especially communication between Republicans and Democrats. Workshop training materials and workshop recordings were analyzed to identify how moderators were trained to encourage conversational receptiveness through structured dialogue. Results identified trained facilitator strategies (greeting behaviors, acknowledging power differences, setting up structures for safety of outgroup conversations, active listening, and showing appreciation for participant input), structured conversational receptiveness practices (limiting assumptions through perspective-taking and locating shared interests), and the strategic sequencing of training activities all contributed to creating dialogic moments. The conversational work done in these workshops around sharing one’s own perspective and invoking the perspectives of others, holds potential implications for helping to create communities of dialogue where people can develop conversational receptiveness, both within these workshops and beyond.

摘要

本研究探讨了 Braver Angels 组织的红/蓝研讨会中有意嵌入的对话接受策略。这些研讨会促进了跨越美国政治分歧的艰难对话，尤其是共和党人和民主党人之间的交流。对研讨会培训材料和研讨会录音进行了分析，以确定主持人是如何接受培训以通过结构化对话鼓励对话接受的。结果确定了训练有素的促进者策略（问候行为、承认权力差异、建立外群对话的安全结构、积极倾听和对参与者的意见表示赞赏）、结构化的对话接受实践（通过换位思考和定位共同兴趣来限制假设）、以及培训活动的战略顺序都有助于创造对话时刻。在这些研讨会中围绕分享自己的观点和援引他人的观点所做的对话工作，对于帮助创建对话社区具有潜在的意义，人们可以在这些研讨会内外发展对话接受能力。