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kind of openness but also I think that sometimes, people don’t want to say what they are

really thinking when they are looking at you.” (P06FAA)

Unlike Internet based virtual dialogues, face-to-face encounters provided participants with

an opportunity to see more fully how the exchange of words and feelings affected members of the

group. Through reactions that were spoken and unspoken, controlled and at times uncontrolled,

the dynamics of face-to-face interaction provided a grounding in reality that is not always present

or achievable in virtual exchanges. One participant noted:

“I do think that how the room was setup, helped in that you know, it was in a circle where

everyone could kind of see everyone else’s face.” (P12FW)

The dynamics of individuals sitting in circle simultaneously works to connect and expose.

The circular formation also acts as a container in which members of the dialogue group develop a

sense of shared environment. When properly constructed, the container formed by the dialogue

group can hold the intensity of human interaction (Isaacs, 1999). One practice used successfully

by a lead facilitator was closing the circle. Closing the circle is a symbolic gesture that allows

group members to tighten the circumference of the circle to eliminate gaps created by empty seats.

Closing the circle created a physical nearness between members of the group and seriousness to

the sharing taking place within the dialogue group. The circular formation of the group was also

an element of the gathering that created comfort and ease to better relate for some participants.

Experiencing 3D: Dominance, Division, and Disagreement (and Discomfort).

The guiding questions of the research sought to explore the dialogue experience from the

perspective of participants and facilitators and the ways in which the phenomena of Community

Conversations and social interactions that produce tension, disagreement, and discomfort (Dis) is

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