Deliberative Citizenship Initiative

Building Democracy One Conversation at a Time

Blog Posts

Commons Conversations and the Effects of Food on Deliberation

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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.

“Only a Sith Deals in Absolutes:” Tips for Productive Confrontation

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Yoda image with blurred background

“Yoda Figurine,” by Kate Haskell, licensed under CC BY 2.0

By Heidi Meyer, DCI Fellow

Times have changed since Yoda said, “Only a Sith deals in absolutes.” Nowadays it seems most people speak in absolutes. Walking around campus, which is supposed to be an incubator of thought-provoking and open-minded discussions, I frequently hear statements such as “Ew, they’re a Republican,” or “I don’t want to talk to a crazy liberal,” or “I hate talking about politics.” 

None of these mindsets are productive. Making assumptions about someone’s beliefs or characters based on a broad label, or completely shunning a topic due to its potential to stir up emotions and controversy makes us as individuals and as a society more polarized and less suited to deal with the increasing number of serious problems we face.

We, therefore, need to change the negative connotations around confrontation. Instead of fearing that if two people disagree on a topic, chaos will ensue, we need to practice leaning into disagreements and intentionally practicing having discussions and deliberations on sensitive topics. Confrontation is something that does not have to divide individuals, but instead can be a productive tool to help people come together. 

I’ve always had an affinity for confrontation, stemming from my experiences with debate in high school, which showed me how productive confrontation can be in helping individuals grow and communicate effectively and respectfully. Here are a few of the most important lessons I learned.

1) Seek first to understand before seeking to be understood. 

In the type of debate I did, participants would not know what side they would be arguing for until a coin flip at the start of each round. This meant that participants had to prepare arguments for both sides, which provided an important framework that there was no side with no good arguments defending it. Both sides had logical reasons for their stance, and it was up to each side to best articulate those reasons and weigh them against the other. This format forced participants to be open-minded enough to put themselves in the shoes of each side and try to understand the reasons behind those stances. 

2) Each side must actively listen to the other in order to respond effectively. 

To be successful in debate, one couldn’t ignore the other side, walk away, or make rude faces or comments. This is also true when trying to make important progress in life. Shutting out the other side without listening or trying to understand where they are coming from is not productive. When people feel attacked, it makes them defensive and less likely to compromise, halting progress.

3) Asking questions is an effective way to make a point 

In debate, there were specific sections of each round designated for asking questions. Through this structure, I learned that questions are useful in pointing out flaws in the logic of an argument without making the other side defensive. Questions can disarm people and force them to evaluate the reasoning behind their stances, making them more open to changing their minds if they cannot come up with an effective answer to the question. 

4) Be respectful

To make a question or any other type of point more effective, a respectful and inquisitive, rather than aggressive, tone is essential. A big part of debate was about presentation and those who were rude or aggressive tended to distract from their arguments, while those who were respectful and more diplomatic tended to deliver their arguments in a more convincing manner. 

All of these lessons apply far beyond the context of debate and are important for productive deliberations. As Walter Sinnott-Armstrong said, “We cannot address a problem if we cannot talk about it,” and I think these lessons are a great place to start the conversation.

Contending with Contentious Issues: The Power of Deliberation

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DCI Fellow

Miles Charles

Students training for DCI Deliberations at round tables in the Davidson College 900 Room.

Deliberation, as defined by Longo and Shaffer in their work “Discussing Democracy,” is a process in which a diverse set of individuals convene and move towards making a collective decision on a contentious issue. Deliberation has the power to change the discourse in our country, away from the harmful rhetoric currently used and towards open dialogue, where everyone’s opinions on every facet of the political spectrum are heard and understood.

 While issues such as race, abortion, religion, and more have always carried a certain weight and importance within American society, throughout the past several years these issues have become more and more relevant in everyday American lives. It has culminated to a point where it is almost taboo to even mention any of the previously named topics. This is where I see the greatest potential of deliberation. It allows us to pry open issues such as race and abortion, open them to dialogue, and begin the process of understanding or at a minimum hearing the other side. 

Contentious issues, such as race, abortion, and religion, are like a powder keg. They are issues that are real, extremely prevalent, and are not going away; and by ignoring them we are simply adding powder to the keg, making the explosion of these issues worse and worse. We saw a preview of this dynamic during the summer protests of 2020 where millions of dollars worth of public and private property were destroyed nationwide. The result of negligence towards these issues is all too clear; a different approach must be taken. Deliberation and its advantages offer that opportunity.

Through my 10+ hours of facilitator training and readings, such as Longo and Shaffer’s “Discussing Democracy,” I’ve already been able to comprehend opposing viewpoints at a level I was unable to beforehand. For example, when deliberating whether to teach critical race theory (CRT) in the classrooms I was presented with a viewpoint I had yet to consider. This was the idea that while CRT is a must-teach topic, it is too complex for youth to understand. This raised the question in my mind of when and how to introduce CRT to our youth and allowed me to understand CRT, not only as a way to learn about race, but instead, view it also as a way to help young people connect with each other and understand, accept and celebrate our differences.

This broadening of my understanding is a small example of the power deliberation holds. A better example is Xernona Clayton, the civil rights legend who befriended a KKK leader and changed his mind. Xernona Clayton was leading the Model Cities Program, a federally funded program to end urban poverty, and despite the strong presence of the KKK, began to drop by Calvin Craig’s Atlanta office in an attempt to befriend him. Appealing to his Christian beliefs, Xernona would teach Clayton to change his use of words, understand the concept of black suffrage, and open his mind to desegregation.

The DCI’s Kickoff Party: An Example of Fun and Meaningful “Labor in Organization”

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DCI Fellow

Anthony Toumazatos

kickoff party for DCI with Students at a round table.

Teddy Roosevelt, when discussing the duties of an American citizenship, said, “If freedom is worth having, if the right of self-government is a valuable right, then the one and the other must be retained exactly as our forefathers acquired them, by labor, and especially by labor in organization, that is in combination with our fellows who have the same interests and the same principles.”

As of now, it has become increasingly difficult to execute this freedom into meaningful discussion, let along tangible results. Insulation between opposing perspectives seems to have proliferated in society, and the fine line between disagreement and disrespect has blurred considerably.

To combat these increasingly worrisome trends, we must begin, as Roosevelt puts it, through “labor in organization.” To me, the DCI embodies this important work. The objective of the initiative is to foster an environment where individuals can productively disagree, learn about differing perspectives, and, most importantly, humanize one another.

My interest in the democratic health of our country sparked when I took the fittingly named course “Democracy in America.” The course was deliberation based, and it was intriguing to hear my peers’ perspectives on topics as diverse as the increasing threat to populism to steps on how to improve American democracy. This rewarding experience made me a supporter of a deliberative framework, so I happily joined the DCI as a new Fellow when presented the opportunity.

kickoff party

The DCI kickoff event on September 2 was a fun, productive event that I consider having been quite successful. Students were attracted to the event by virtue of pizza and prizes and remained in the event by virtue of compelling discussion. While eating, participants had to work together with their peers at the table to find solutions to “puzzles,” or questions ranging from the lighthearted to pressing political issues.

To illustrate the spectrum of topics discussed, the discourse began with “what is the best type of pet?” and slowly worked its way to “how should the United States deal with the invasion of Ukraine?” and “how can we prevent mass shootings?” It was more informal than the structured deliberations also hosted by the DCI, but successful, nonetheless. The participants especially bought into the question regarding how to prevent mass shootings, and extensive deliberation took place. Everyone at the table, which included nine of us, were able to share their thoughts and ponder the options put in front of us.

The conversation was fun because we were all so invested in it, and despite varying views on the root causes of such a sensitive topic, we were able to come to a consensus. We all agreed that part of the issue was at least due to a lack of accessible care for mental health, so if we could find a way to normalize the discussion of mental health with wellbeing in general that that can lead to a better outcome. Of course, a multifaceted issue such as this requires a multifaceted solution, but to even see some sort of solution derived from an informal deliberation shows the strengths of the process.

While the quality of the conversation is why I primarily consider the kickoff event a success, a subsidiary reason to that is that many people were attracted to future DCI events. Afterwards, multiple people came up to me and asked how they can be a part of the DCI and what future events we will be holding. To see such a response of such enduring interest in the DCI by people who initially came to eat free pizza is a testament to not only the experience of the event, but the enchantment of deliberation.

I am looking forward to partaking in further DCI discussions and learning the art form of deliberation. The DCI provides the tools and frameworks to improve as both an interlocutor and citizen. By working cohesively with people who value free speech and diversity of perspectives, we can begin to improve the democratic health of four little corner of the country.

DCI Kicks Off a New Year!

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It has been a busy week for the DCI as the 2022-23 academic year gets started here at Davidson. Monday night several of our new DCI Fellows represented the DCI at the Political Clubs Fair organized by the Center for Political Engagement. They were able to connect with other organizations interested in political issues and share information about the DCI with students curious about its various activities, from D Teams to Deliberative Forums and more.

Tuesday during Common Hour we had our first cohort meeting of the DCI’s fifteen new 2022-23 Fellows. They include first years through seniors, several international students, and several scholar-athletes, and all of them are passionate about deliberation and excited about getting involved in the DCI. We got to know each other a bit and reviewed our plans for the year, which are extensive and we’re looking forward to sharing more with you about them soon.

Then on Wednesday, several Fellows shared information with interested students about the DCI at a table in front of the College Union. Through this outreach, several students signed up for D Teams (the final deadline is this Friday!) and for updates from the DCI.

We are rounding out the week tomorrow with our Semester Kickoff Party, which will be held in the 900 Room from 12 pm to 2 pm. Students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members are all invited to come learn more the DCI, pick up some tips on how to engage in difficult conversations on contentious topics, and enjoy some pizza, prizes, and deliberative activities. We hope you can join us!

Friday (9/2) is also the final deadline to sign up for the DCI’s fall D Teams, which is open to everyone and meets three times during the semester. Our fall topics are election accessibility, security, and fairness. Learn more here and register here by tomorrow!