Ch. 7 “Diving In: A Handbook for Improving Race Relations on College Campuses Through the Process of Sustained Dialogue” (in Resolving Community Conflicts and Problems…)

This chapter discusses the stages in conducting a sustained dialogue in a campus. In stage one, Deciding to Engage, students should develop a plan for establishing dialogue groups on their campus and gather participants for those groups. Once individual groups are formed, the group leaders should explain the process to each participant. Then, the groups move into stage two, Mapping and Naming, where participants share their personal experiences. The group leader will notice a change in the character of conversations as the dialogue progresses into stage three, Probing Problems and Relationships, where participants are beginning to understand each other’s problems concerning race, gender and the like. With this understanding of the problem, the group then moves into stage four, Scenario Building, where members generate possible solutions to the problem. In stage five, Acting Together, group members enact the suggested solutions.