Going through the world today, full of disagreement, conflict and animosity, it can be difficult to find common ground with those in your communrity , especially when views differ extremely and are so firmly held. This is made even more difficult by variables such as social media, fake news and a lack of understanding of others and their perspectives. Discussion featuring different perspectives can get charged or even hostile if done incorrectly, which is why Dialogues Across Differences was created at Dickinson.
Originally named “Civil Dialogue Across the Curriculum, Campus and Community,” the newly titled Dialogues Across Differences was created by a grant awarded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations in 2022. Currently, with nine committee members and four Student Dialogue Associates, the Dialogues Across Differences program is a part of the Center for Civic Learning and Action (CCLA).
The purpose of this program is to provide students and staff with the tools and knowledge to hold constructive, courteous and empathetic conversations about topics ranging from social norms and practices to politics and world events.
Sydney Phillips ’27, a Student Dialogue Associate, describes the end purpose of one of these dialogues as being “mutual understanding…not to win or to convince, but to understand…that’s very beneficial, because it allows people to realize that they have more in common than they realize.” Phillips added that to have a space like this is “kind of cathartic…where you can talk about what you feel about subjects that might be harder to talk about…even if nothing happens.”
For the first time since its establishement, teams, classes, residents and clubs can now request a dialogue. If there are difficult conversations that must be had, a group can fill out a form (found on the “Future Dialogue Programming” page on the Dickinson Dialogues Across Differences information page) to request for someone to host a dialogue. The dialogue associates are there to moderate, but the group who requested it will run the discussion. The dialogue associates are there to ask questions, get the group thinking and talking and to help if things go awry.
The conversations range from casual subjects to those that are more charged or difficult to talk about. Last year, there were dialogues surrounding the dangers and benefits of using the social media platform YikYak. There were also dialogues surrounding the 2024 Presidential election. This fall, there will be dialogues about what a democracy that works for everyone should look like. Upcoming dialogues can be attended by any Dickinson student, and anyone can request a dialogue for their group if needed.
In a world full of disagreement and some extreme examples of polarization, these dialogues are a way for people to express their thoughts in a way that allows all parties to benefit and allows everyone to leave with an understanding of each others’ perspectives. The ability for anyone to request a dialogue is just one more way to foster a community of mutual understanding and civic engagement at Dickinson College. Dialogues Across Differences is a way to understand peers, friends, colleagues and the larger community at Dickinson in a way that brings everyone closer together, as well as a tool to better understand the world as a whole.
