DePaulCSLNews: Difficult Conversations in Difficult Times: The Election

Monday, October 19, 2020

Difficult Conversations in Difficult Times: The Election

Difficult Conversations in Difficult Times: The Election

Please join us on either Monday, October 26 or Tuesday, October 27 (3-5pm) to discuss/share feelings and perspectives about the upcoming election. At this time, we are planning to provide spaces where you can choose to participate including: managing anxiety and self care strategies, how to lead difficult conversations in your school settings, navigating discussions across political lines, and a general, open discussion. Please join us. Contact erice19@depaul.edu to register for this event and we will send you a zoom link. We also plan to have open sessions after the election on Thursday and Friday (time to be determined).

Guiding Open Group Discussions & Discourse

in a Virtual Setting

We hope these resources will be helpful to you when facilitating dialogue that may spark emotion or elicit discussion around contentious topics. These guidelines are meant to help equip you for conversations that uphold the dignity and respect for all who participate.

Consider having a co-facilitator assist with time-keeping and managing the chat/technological functions of the meeting. This will allow you to focus your full attention on the conversation.
Consider beginning with a focusing or grounding technique. Before you begin the discussion, it is important that you, as the facilitator(s), prepare to hold emotional space for others. This can include journaling, deep breathing or mindfulness practices. Once the group comes together, it is helpful to also lead participants in a grounding exercise (such as journaling, deep breathing, mindfulness, or asking reflection questions). Doing so allows space for all participants to come into the conversation by pausing first and readjusting their attention and awareness to the subject at hand.
Co-Create Group Norms. Develop group rules and norms collaboratively. Facing History and Ourselves has an excellent resource for Contracting for Remote Learning which provides a step-by-step guide to discussing shared expectations for the conversation in a deliberate manner that ensures all members are heard and respected and differences of opinion are valued. It also discusses the importance of creating a brave space and helping students speak up without tearing down.
Allow for the justifiable wide-range of emotions to be expressed. Be mindful that anger, sadness, anxiety and fear are real and valid. Avoid trying to police or manage emotions. Similarly, avoid examining someone’s emotional response as a character flaw. Instead, you can find ways to support members in processing their emotions and possibly exploring options for channeling these emotions.
Consider the racial trauma experienced by members from historically marginalized identities. It is important to acknowledge that members from historically marginalized groups, and individuals holding BIPOC identities, in particular, often experience chronic racial trauma due to ongoing injustice and systems of oppression. Related, some members of the group may need to disengage at certain points in the conversation. Consider these actions as a form of self-care for said members by providing them with the space to engage as they see fit.
Recognize and understand your own privilege. Engage in self-reflection about the power dynamic inherent in the conversation (race, gender, social-economic, religious, sexual orientation, ableism, etc.). As noted by Oluo (2018), “when we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else’s oppression, we’ll find opportunities to make real change” (p. 65).
Ask open-ended questions and reflect back meaning. In a virtual setting, it is sometimes difficult to know if one is being heard, given people are quite literally muted. As the facilitator, reflect back what you heard the participant say by paraphrasing or reflecting meaning. This technique is particularly helpful when a participant has been vulnerable or has expressed an opinion that may spark debate or emotional responses from others. It is also important to check in for clarity and accuracy when reflecting meaning, as well as to invite further elaboration of their reflections.
Allow time for creating collective next steps (if applicable) and encourage self-care. Help members channel their collective energies towards proactive steps within their control. This can include time to brainstorm ways to get involved locally or with a cause that is meaningful to them. Taking action can help cultivate feelings of agency and connectedness. It is also important to stress the importance of self-care and staying healthy during difficult and stressful times.
Provide a list of additional resources from the University so that students can follow-up should they desire. This can include University Counseling Services, Health Promotion and Wellness, and Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care.