Deliberative Forums

This fall, the DCI hosted its first in-person Deliberative Forum, featuring three panelists from Davidson’s Political Science Department: Professors Besir Ceka, Ken Menkhaus, and Shelley Rigger. About two weeks later, we held a forum with Davidson’s Bonner Scholars on the same topic: “The Challenge for Democracy: To what extent should the United States and other democratic countries defend and promote democracy around the world?” Over 50 Bonner Scholars gathered in the Lilly Family Gallery to deliberate on this question, having watched the expert panel discussion and read our Deliberation Guide on the topic.

Check out this short video montage from the forum…!

Over 97% of the 35 Bonner participants who completed a short survey after the event reported that they were either very satisfied (57%) or satisfied (40%) with their small group deliberation. Over 85% of the participants also felt like they either learned a huge amount (20%) or a good amount (66%) about the defense of democracy. As one Bonner Scholar wrote, “I felt very comfortable sharing my ideas with the group and I think my facilitator and group members did a great job creating a welcoming environment. It was really cool to be able to genuinely discuss an important topic, as I feel like I don’t get to do that often in my life.” Another Bonner Scholar stated, “It was a very helpful experience overall as it not only helped in learning new perspectives but also helped me strengthen my understanding.”

“It was a very helpful experience overall as it not only helped in learning new perspectives but also helped me strengthen my understanding.”

The Bonner Scholars Program is a scholarship program where students aim and learn how to effect positive community change. Bonner Scholars participate in community service and research, and they have weekly opportunities to engage in educational experiences that enhance their ability to make a positive impact and build capacity within community organizations. Participation in Deliberative Forums allows the Bonner Scholars to harness their humane instincts, listen effectively to diverse perspectives, and seek innovative solutions to urgent public issues. The DCI first partnered with the Bonner Scholars Program in the fall of 2022 to host a deliberative forum on free speech and inclusivity that was very well-received by those who participated, and we have continued this partnership this year.

We are excited to partner with the Bonner Scholars again in the early spring semester! The DCI will host a public Deliberative Forum on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on February 5th, in which Senior Bonner Scholars will take part. This forum will provide a space for Davidson students, alumni, staff, faculty, and members of the public to engage with one another on critical issues regarding emerging technologies. These include AI that is capable of performing tasks as well as humans in economically valuable ways and AI that could be as transformative as the agricultural or industrial revolutions to human society and the world.

In the Spring of 2023, Davidson College’s Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, Digital Studies, Political Science, and Psychology Departments, and Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted a Deliberative Forum on “Social Media: How Should We Engage and/or Regulate it, If at All?” This Deliberative Forum enabled participants to actively engage with this important issue, first by hearing from an online panel of experts with diverse perspectives on the topic, and then by actively deliberating with one another in facilitated small group discussions (either in person or virtually) on how best to engage with and regulate social media (if at all). We have just released the recording of the panel portion of the forum and you can view it now below. Also included below are some photos from the event, the event’s deliberation guide and the event flyer for your reference. Enjoy!

Here is a photo of the in-person audience as they listened to the online panel, moderated by Professor Mark Sample…

And here is one of the several small group discussions that followed the panel discussion…

And here is a video recording of the panel discussion…

Here is the deliberation guide that was distributed to the participants beforehand and was used to guide the small group discussions.

DCI-Social-Media-Deliberation-Guide

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On September 29, 2022, the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, in partnership with Davidson College’s Educational Studies Department and Political Science Department, co-hosted a Deliberative Forum on “Parents and Schools: Who Should Teach our Children about Race, Gender, and Sexuality.” The event included both an expert panel discussion and small group deliberations on the topic.

The DCI selects both locally and nationally relevant topics for its forums that citizens – in the broadest sense of the word – have strongly-held, diverse, and conflicting views on and are highly salient to current and ongoing social and political debates. The topic of this forum certainly fits this description, and the strength of views on the topic were demonstrated by the student protests that were held outside the event. Protesters objected to the inclusion of Dr. Melissa Moschella, an associate professor of philosophy at Catholic University, on the panel due to her views on abortion, race, and transgender issues.

As background, the DCI invites panelists to its Deliberative Forums in order to introduce attendees to diverse perspectives on the topic at hand and provide an opportunity for them to witness good argument and a thoughtful, respectful exchange of reasons between people who may disagree deeply. The DCI does NOT endorse the views of any of the panelists it invites but selects them based on the depth and relevance of their expertise to the topic under discussion.

The DCI is committed to the idea that listening to speakers with whom we disagree does not imply agreement; it suggests a willingness to seek out the truth together and to better understand one another’s perspective as fellow citizens with equal status at the table. Melissa Moschella and Derek Black, the event’s other invited panelist, are two of the most highly-qualified and well-published scholars who can speak to the contentious questions surrounding the role of schools and parents in educating children about social issues.

Given their diverse viewpoints, panelists like Dr. Moschella and Dr. Black may hold views that some citizens reasonably find offensive. The DCI is committed to creating spaces for people to engage with, evaluate, and challenge these positions in a productive and civil manner.

More generally, the DCI is committed to catalyzing creative, broadly-supported solutions to the major social challenges facing our community and society – including racism, sexism, and other forms of injustice – through the process of deliberation across differences.

The video of the event is posted below, and we invite everyone to view the panel discussion, which was moderated by Professor Dan Layman, an associate professor of philosophy at Davidson and a co-convener of the DCI. Dr. Layman asked direct questions of each panelist while also allowing them to follow-up on each other’s points. Their discussion was followed by an hour-long opportunity for attendees to engage with one another on these topics in discussions facilitated by the DCI’s trained facilitators. Periods when we had some technical difficulties (this was our first hybrid in-person/virtual event) and when the discussion was temporarily disrupted by protesters have been edited from the video; all comments from the panelists are still included.

DCI-Parents-and-Schools-Deliberation-Guide_9.26.22

The Davidson College Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, Davidson College Center for Civic Engagement, and North Mecklenburg Economic Mobility Collaborative hosted an online deliberative forum to discuss Economic Mobility: How Can the American Dream Be More Achievable for Everyone? 

Economic-Mobility-Forum-Poster

 

Check out the deliberation guide below:

DCI Economic Mobility Deliberation Guide

In November 2020, Harvard-based research group Opportunity Insights, led by Professor Raj Chetty, issued a report ranking Mecklenburg County 96th overall among the nation’s 100 largest counties for upward economic mobility. This came after a 2013 study from the same researchers named Charlotte last in economic mobility among the 50 largest metro areas in the United States. Nationally, people across the United States are beginning to question the concept of the American dream as income inequality rises, poverty deepens, and access to education and healthcare opportunities appear unequally distributed.

If the American dream does exist, how might we begin to understand this abstract concept? In our everyday lives, how do we define this idea of economic mobility, and what different ideas have been proposed to make it more achievable for everyone?

This DCI Deliberative Forum enabled participants to explore these important questions, first by hearing from a panel of three leading experts on this issue, and then by actively deliberating with one another in facilitated small group discussions on how best to understand and pursue economic mobility. This was a fantastic opportunity to learn from experts, listen to the perspectives of others, and share ideas about economic mobility.

Panelist Bios:

Sherri Chisholm is the Executive Director of Leading on Opportunity, a local non-profit organization created in 2017 that is dedicated to ensuring that “within a generation every child in Charlotte-Mecklenburg will have an equal chance to achieve social and economic success.” Ms. Chisholm joined the organization in 2020, after serving as the founding Executive Director of Urban Alliance Detroit and founder and CEO of FreeSpace Consulting Group. Holding master’s degrees in education from Harvard University and the Broad Center for the Management of School Systems, Ms. Chisholm has worked as a management consultant and has also held leadership roles with Teach for America, the School District of Palm Beach County, FL, and the Fulton County School System in Metro-Atlanta.

Kieth Cockrell is the President of Bank of America Charlotte and also leads Bank of America’s efforts to leverage its resources to address social and economic concerns, build strong communities, and support the health and safety of its employees. He has worked at Bank of America for 28 years in leadership positions related to consumer and small business services, global technology and operations, and customer service. Mr. Cockrell has also served as vice chair of the bank’s Global Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Council and received two D&I awards within the company. A current member of Davidson College’s Board of Visitors, he has also been an active community leader and has served on the boards of multiple local organizations, including My Brothers Keeper (Charlotte-Mecklenburg), the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, and the United Way.

Patrick Garry is a professor at the University of South Dakota’s School of Law and Director of the Hagemann Center for Legal & Public Policy Research. The author of over 40 scholarly articles and 22 books, Professor Garry has spoken and published extensively on poverty, limited government, and conservatism, including his books, The False Promise of Big Government: How Washington Helps the Rich and Hurts the Poor and Conservatism Redefined: A Creed for the Poor and Disadvantaged, and his essays, “Conservatism and the Real Problems of Income Inequality” and “Education as the Key to Opportunity and Upward Mobility.” Dr. Garry has also served as a visiting scholar at Columbia University’s School of Law and earned his JD and PhD from the University of Minnesota.