Page 361 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

interactions they can confront the difficult task of understanding implicit bias and race related

issues with each other in authentic and more meaningful ways through experiences that are

constructivist in nature. The emergent theoretical propositions were developed in an Metasphere

crafted and sustained through its co-creation and containment of safety felt and shared by

participants and facilitators; the resulting core dimension from the dimensional analysis comes

from within these dialogues.

Each proposition is representative of the synergy created within the dialogue group with

the help of experienced and trusted facilitators, in an environment where participants felt safe

enough to risk, share, confront and reflect in a way that prompted varying degrees of reflection,

shifts and transformation. The propositions that emerged from the data and subsequent analysis

include creating space to move from tension to healing; heart stories, hurt stories (hearing and

understanding differently), sustaining conversation, bridging divides to next actions. Each element

describes the aware experiences and contributing conditions of the civic and deliberative dialogue

process for exploring the difficult and controversial topics of race and racism. Together, the four

theoretical propositions knit a symbolic interactionist view of the power of civic and deliberative

dialogue as a Community Conversation that adds value to the practice of bridging racial divide.

The ordering of the propositions is important to the discussion and relates to a process of

progression that allows for the occurrence of movement by dialogue participants. Below, each

proposition is discussed in relation to the literature, how the four are interconnected, and why

Community Conversations that foster these four connections contributes to individual and

collective consciousness raising through leader-as-exemplified brings opportunities for change.

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