COMM 160: Practicing Intergroup Dialogue
Fall 2022, 1 credit hour
Thursdays 6:00-8:00pm
*Class meets every other week*
Are you concerned that we do not engage with others about social issues? Would you like to reflect on and improve your communication skills? Do you want to get credit for participating in conversations about important and, at times, polarizing topics?
Practicing Intergroup Dialogue provides students an opportunity to engage in facilitated semester-long discussion sessions around important and, at times, polarizing social issues through a structured process. The objectives of the course are to (a) gain new insight and perspectives on various social concerns, (b) increase recognition of your own and others’ biases, (c) a deeper understanding of social identities and worldviews, and (d) increased communication competencies related to effective dialogue.
Students in the course will gain foundational knowledge of theories of social identity and intergroup dialogue (i.e., communicating across difference). The main activities of the course are participating in the facilitated dialogue sessions in small groups (6-8 students) with corresponding guided reflections based on these interactions.
Upon completion of this course, students may be interested in in enrolling in COMM 360: Dialogue Across Difference, an advanced theory and research-based course on intergroup dialogue.
Space is limited. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Dr. Jordan Soliz at jsoliz2@unl.edu.