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public judgment” (p. 13). Shifts in preferences, from individual opinion to public judgment as

reached by deliberative groups, and as described by Yankelovich (1991), represents a collective

transition of working through which a Community Conversation “meta” environment can offer.

The transformation from opinion to public judgment (Yankelovich, 1991) begins with

individuals and ultimately transmutes collective perspective. The process of potential

transformation among dialogue group participants having various and diverse perspectives and

opinions is the basis for my dissertation research. The research questions explored from a

phenomenological perspective relate to issues at the heart of Yankelovich’s transformational

process, and the bridge between consciousness raising and resolution. Nationally renowned public

opinion expert Daniel Yankelovich spent more than six decades monitoring social change and

public opinion. Yankelovich considered his finest career achievement to be developing new

methods of dialogue and deliberation for helping the public convert raw opinion into thoughtful

judgment. “The challenge is to help the public think through, deliberate, dissolve their own

conflicts and finally reach considered judgment,” Yankelovich said in an interview. “From my

view as a student of public opinion, converting raw opinion into considered judgment is

indispensable to the efficient functioning of public democracy.” (Griffin, 2017)

Working through, as detailed by Yankelovich (1991), is a complex process of reflection

and transformation. In deliberative settings working through involves a shift or change at the

participant level. Research on working through suggests it hinges on the extent to which education

is achieved and awareness is elevated among Community Conversation participants during the

‘initial stage of consciousness raising’ (Yankelovich, 1991) and information sharing within the

dialogue group setting. Scholars who have conducted research about the critical transition from

knowledge and awareness to resolution and action focused on the procedural actions of the shift.

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