It has become fashionable these days to decry the decline of public discourse and civility. Let's Talk Politics explores why there is so much incivility plaguing our social discourse-- from the town hall meeting to the extended family's holiday gathering-- and why this should matter to all of us. Rather than just describing the problem, this book outlines how any and all of us can be a part of the solution by creating more productive dialogues, one conversation at a time. If you want to help create a better world, buy this book and start talking. The first chapter of the book reviews some of the evidence for the decline in civility but then quickly shifts gears to explain in depth why declining civility should concern us all. A follow-up chapter counters a series of common excuses for sitting on the political sidelines. Part II presents a hands-on and time-tested approach for reversing the trend toward incivility-one citizen, or group of citizens, at a time. It presents an overview of the Interactivity Foundation discussion process, an explanation of why it is likely to promote civility, and evidence that it actually has. The book's last set of chapters amount to a "how-to" manual.They offer easy-to-follow instructions for organizing, conducting, and following up on discussions that can encourage civility.
Adolf G. Gundersen, Ph.D. Adolf G. Gundersen's work as Fellow and Research Director of the Interactivity Foundation has added a new, practical dimension to a career devoted to understanding and promoting public discussion as a teacher, theorist, policy analyst, and social scientist. Gundersen's academic publications include three books, two of which deal specifically with public discussion (The Environmental Promise of Democratic Deliberation, University of Wisconsin Press, 1995; and The Socratic Citizen, Lex- ington Books, 2000). His most recent publication, co-authored with colleague Dennis Boyer for The Journal of Public Deliberation, is titled "Just-in-Time Exploratory Public Discussion." Gundersen is also a past contributor to The Washington Post and CNN online. Suzanne Goodney Lea, Ph.D. Suzanne Goodney Lea is a Fellow of the Inter- activity Foundation and its Education Coordinator. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor at Gallaudet University's Sociology Department and as Chair of the Criminal Justice Program at Trinity College, both in Washington, D.C. Lea is an expert on race, gender, and the social construction of crime and criminal justice policy. She has provided analysis on these topics for ABC World News, The Guardian Unlimited, the BBC, NPR, and several local affiliates. Her current work explores group-based discourse in contemporary university classrooms and in public discussions, both here and in Asia. Additionally, she is working on a project to document patterns in incidents in which citizens are killed by police officers. Lea teaches a Policy Wars class for the Washington Center in Washington, D.C., and occasionally lectures on research methods, social policy problems, and first generation college student success. She delivers faculty training workshops throughout the U.S. to teach faculty how to teach their students to facilitate their own learning conversations in the classroom and public dialogues within the broader communities.
