Developing a civic identity by designing and facilitating public opportunities for deliberative dialogue

Abstract

An innovative course at James Madison University seeks to engage students in civic life by starting not with specific public and political issues but by engaging communication majors in creating spaces for public talk about complex and value-laden issues. This course supports a campus-community program whose goal is to help the campus and local communities productively address difficult issues. In this chapter, the authors illustrate how students research public issues, study design processes, and facilitate deliberative dialogue. As they engaged in shaping processes that encourage others to enact citizenship, students realized that they, themselves, play a vital role in civic life.