Page 21 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

Summary of Chapters

Chapter I begins with the statement that “public discourse” is one of the most important

aspects of a democracy. Through this dissertation, I am exploring what defines public discourse in

order to mine insight into its significance in democracy, fostering societal ideals such as

egalitarianism and it’s potential for creating future potentials such as mitigating climate change,

etc. I argue that to reclaim it we must explore strategies for crafting successful engagement. Before

looking at the Community Conversations movement I first explore in great depth ‘what is public

discourse?’

Chapters I and II establish the research questions and review the process undertaken for

writing. Starting with the basic premise that democratic governance should incorporate the

opinions of its citizens I look into how bridging disinformation and maligned opinions can be

challenging. Then I argue that the theory and practice of deliberative democracy (DD) is an

especially useful tool in overcoming such inadequacies. I explain DD theory and practice, discuss

the rationale for using DD methods that invite the public to participate in open settings like

Community Conversations.

I look at the social environment, social context, sociocultural context or milieu in creating

what I have termed “Metasphere” which refers to the immediate sense of surrounding, atmosphere

and the ‘felt’ space dimensions of the physical and social setting in which people interact or in

which something happens or develops. It includes the cultural impacts and I explore the “Mass

Trance” and explain MORB interaction where persons project identity, perceptions and social

status. I conclude that the social environment is a broader concept than that of social class or social

circle.

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