656F Spring 2026 Discord and Dialogue

656F  Discord and Dialogue
Two sessions
Instructor: Mara Schoeny 
Thursdays, 11:50—1:15, Mar. 26—Apr. 2
Class limit: 25
It can be difficult to be in conversation with people with whom we deeply disagree…or who we think are wrong. If it is someone we know, it can be even more difficult, with history, assumptions, and prior interactions infusing each encounter. Yet often there are people and issues that are important enough to us to wish we could find a way to talk across the divides. This class will explore the conflict dynamics that get in the way of the possibility of connection and some techniques that can help create space for dialogue. Sparking a different path for well-worn topics can be a difficult but rewarding undertaking, requiring curiosity as well as reflection. We will draw on the dialogue model developed by physicist David Bohm for the ingredients of open, non-judgmental communication aimed at fostering deeper understanding and insight into complex issues.  
Mara Schoeny is an associate professor and director of the Dialogue and Difference Project at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at GMU. She has 20 years of national and international experience helping groups, schools, and communities make space for dialogue.