Reconceptualizing Dialogue in Environmental Public Participation

Bibliographic Data

ID6330970
AuthorsJennifer Duffield Hamilton (University of Cincinnati), Caitlin Wills‐toker
Year2006
Volume34
Issue4
Pages755-775
Publication date2006-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolicy Studies Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0190-292X • E-ISSN: 1541-0072
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1541-0072.2006.00200.x
OpenAlexW2010316978
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited40

In this article we argue that the attempt to overcome technical dominance with democratic procedures has reduced communication to fair procedural rules that do not fully recognize the rhetorical functions of dialogue. The meaning generation process, although important, is not sufficiently accounted for in current participation theories and models. Here, we use Mikhail Bakhtin's dialogic perspective to explore a “sense‐making” discourse that includes embracing differences, generating new meanings, and engaging in an open‐ended dialogue. This mode of discourse works to construct understanding through a multi‐voiced, ongoing struggle among perspectives. It intermingles with a problem‐solving discourse focused on developing agreement among disparate views within democratic processes. These types of discourse have differing, yet complimentary goals and we see them as alternating throughout public participation to encourage long‐term interaction and relationship building. We highlight techniques that illustrate some ways of encouraging a sense‐making discourse and touch upon several lessons they provide for implementing this type of discourse within democratic models

Civil discourse · Construct (python library · Democracy · Dialogic · Discourse analysis · Dominance (genetics · Epistemology · Linguistics · Meaning (existential · Pedagogy · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Politics · Public discourse · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Computer Science · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Law · Rhetoric and Communication Studies · Social Media and Politics

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