Deliberative Citizenship Initiative

Building Democracy One Conversation at a Time

LJ Phillips

The Importance of Age Diversity in Deliberation

by

Group Discussion at the Jay Hurt Hub.

LJ Phillips ’25 (DCI Fellow)

Job 12:12 of the Bible, says, “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in the length of days.” This is certainly a truth that all of us can relate to. You can learn a lot from the people who have come before. You can also learn from the generation behind you as well. Age brings wisdom while youth brings new and refreshed ideas. These conclusions are why I think age diversity is crucial in having productive deliberations.

In my D Team last semester, I noticed the deliberators’ openness, knowledge, and respect for their peers. Although all those aspects of the D-Team were important, the one that stood out to me was the age diversity and distribution. The different age groups really brought new perspectives and knowledge about the topics that many of the participants were unaware of beforehand.

Many alumni from Davidson ranging from 30 to almost 80 years old made the deliberations flow and more engaging. They made the students feel comfortable but also intrigued in learning aspects they would have never known if someone who had more experience with the topic had not told them. Also, it was beneficial for the students’ forebearers to hear about how the next and current generations feel about certain issues.

People of an older age in deliberations bring nuance and history to topics that students and other younger members would not know the details about because they didn’t live during that time period. Instead of having an outside view of the situation due to age, they have a direct experience with whatever the discussion is about. This sentiment can be shared with younger people as well in the discussion. They provide new insights into topics that they are more accustomed to than their older peers (such as social media).

I think a good example of the influence age diversity has on our interactions would be the conversations we have with family members and colleagues. Even though you might not have the same love and respect for someone in your D Team as you have for your grandmother, the insight you can gain from them is extremely valuable.

We take for granted how important it is for different generations to interact, especially in a time like today when the generations are more disconnected from one another than ever before. Deliberations that are more diverse in nature have a positive impact on the discussion. Age plays a pivotal role when it comes to diversity in spaces like D Teams. It is more useful to acknowledge the differences in experiences and wisdom to come to a solution to any contentious issue.

I encourage elders to speak about their experiences and teach the youth, and I encourage young students and adults to help their predecessors with new ideas foreign to them and share their experiences as well. No matter if you are 40, 21, or 68, you have significance and can bring valuable contributions to any deliberations, so do not be afraid to convey your thoughts – we will all appreciate them.

Commons Conversations and the Effects of Food on Deliberation

by

Conversations at Davidson College Commons

By LJ Phillips (DCI Fellow)

According to celebrity chef James Beard, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Food always has a unique way of bringing people together. The most prominent conversations or interactions that I can remember in my life almost always involved food in some fashion. The act of eating with another person or persons makes people more sociable. We are less on-edge and are more vulnerable to one another when we share a meal.

I found this realization to be even more supported by the first Commons Conversation this semester. As a facilitator, I found it difficult at first to find people who wanted to engage in a deliberation during their lunch. People did not seem to want to spend their lunch time deliberating in the beginning but decided otherwise once we started to deliberate.

Our deliberative topic was about mental health. It is a sensitive topic for some but eating together eased the tensions throughout the table and you could visibly tell that people are not only comfortable but eager to speak to one another.

I wonder about that change in tone and mood from previous deliberations. As conversation went on people seamlessly felt accepted and were glad to share their personal opinions on the topic. This was the effect of deliberating in a less stressful environment under serene circumstances.

With regards to the actual conversation we had, it went well and the crosstalk and conversation among deliberators was orderly and coherent. The easy-going and well-meant nature of the discussion made my job as a facilitator more enjoyable and pleasant. Interruptions were not needed by me because the subsequent group respected each other despite their differences and lack of knowledge of each other.

I think the reason for such cordiality was that we were dining with one another. We can all relate in that we not only need food as humans but desire it. Eating with another person has shown to be a great way to ease tension and be more relational with someone. Whether you are eating at Vail Commons, Davis Cafe, or Zaxby’s, the personal act of sharing a dining experience brings comfort and familiarity even when it wasn’t present before.

As our deliberation continued, people also became better listeners ironically. Naturally, most would assume that when we eat and converse we become worse listeners because eating takes some of the attention away from the conversation. However, this did not happen; everyone listened intently to each person’s perspective.

What I saw that Friday in Vail Commons was an intentional, genuine conversation about a delicate matter such as mental health. It was an experience that was elevated by the act of eating lunch with other people. It really makes you ponder about how much our surroundings have on our mood and attitude toward speaking to people. Food has a positive impact on our interactions with one another. If we have more conversations where people are in comfortable settings, better and more productive deliberations will occur.