This is not a debate: UHCL professor teaches students, community value of deliberative dialogue

In April 2018, UHCL hosted a community forum regarding immigration. The room was full; people from all over the community were in attendance and the ground was set for more of the same type of polarized debate that has dominated the political landscape since the 2016 election.

But, refreshingly, those in attendance experienced not a polarizing debate but a deliberative conversation, guided by students that had been trained as deliberative dialogue moderators by Se-Hyoung Yi, assistant professor of political science at UHCL.

“We opened the forum to the public, posted flyers, contacted local teachers,” Yi said. “There were people running for office in attendance, as well as community leaders and immigrants. And we, all together, deliberated how to tackle this issue that was so important to our community.”

Yi began his program, which trains students to be deliberative dialogue moderators and hosts community deliberative forums regarding key issues, in 2017. He collaborated with John Theis and the Center for Civic Engagement at the Lone Star College-Kingwood to create the program and has trained over 30 student moderators.

The April 2018 forum that had received so much attention wouldn’t have been as successful had it not been for the student moderators, Yi said.

“It was the first session moderated and led by our student moderators,” Yi said. “That was large. We have hosted more forums led by students, since — energy policy, constitutional reform, bullying. These are all shared common issues.”

The students who have trained as moderators recognize the value of the skills they have learned from Yi.

“This is a skill you can use when talking about difficult topics, such as gun violence or bullying,” said Cheryl Curtis, a graduate student majoring in cross-cultural and global studies who has been training as a deliberative dialogue moderator since fall 2018. “But it can also apply to everyday conversations.”

A valuable skill

Deliberative dialogue is a valuable skill set for all students, but one specifically lacking in STEM majors, explained Cheyenne Valdez, a physics major who has been part of Yi’s deliberative dialogue training since 2017.

“I feel like it can be sculpted towards whatever field,” Valdez said. “The discussions, in general, are good for STEM majors to experience. Most don’t have classes that force them to practice that type of discussion. These help you for when you do have to talk about something difficult, say at a forum.”

Perhaps the most important skill learned as a deliberative dialogue moderator, given the diversity of the local community, is the ability to have meaningful discussions with anyone, even if you don’t agree with them, Curtis explained.

“I’m as blue, liberal, bleeding-heart as you can get,” Curtis said. “I see a MAGA [Make America Great Again] hat, I know that person and I probably aren’t going to get along. But, with the skills learned from deliberative forums, I know that we can have a real conversation about topics that are important to us regardless of our political ideology. We can build a basis where we can start to work together.”

Valdez said that the communication skills gained with deliberative dialogue training are crucial, but she makes sure to point out that the gravity of the training doesn’t mean a high-pressure environment.

“It’s real chill, don’t feel pressured,” Valdez said. “As the conversation goes on, as Dr. Yi encourages everyone, people start feeling more comfortable, and everyone starts jumping in. They’ll volunteer their personal experiences. It’s a really nice thing to see and to experience.”

Political science at UHCL

William Hoston, associate professor of political science and Yi’s senior in the program, expressed his excitement for the success Yi and the deliberative forum and moderator programs have had on campus.

“With junior faculty, sometimes we like to protect them,” Hoston said. “But, he had such a passion for it, and it was important for him to carry through.”

Yi was recently recognized with the Taylor L. Willingham Legacy Fund award by the National Issues Forums Institute for his efforts in creating a space on UHCL and the local community for the development of deliberative dialogue and forums. Hoston hopes that this recognition and the continued success of Yi’s deliberative forums helps to legitimize the need for a political science program at UHCL.

UHCL cut the political science program in 2011 due to a combination of budget cuts and a low graduate production. But, Hoston contends, that decision doesn’t accurately reflect the trend of the program in its last academic year.

“We need to bring the program back,” Hoston said. “There were 11 graduates [in the program’s last year], the most in over a decade.”

Both Hoston and Yi agree that there is a desire and a need amongst the UHCL students for more political science classes, especially with the new on-campus residence hall and the increasing number of freshmen students.

“We need to offer them something,” Yi said. “We need to get them engaged in politics and their community.”

An official request to reinstate the political science program at UHCL has been made, but the university is currently battling budget constraints, with more cuts expected for the next school year.

The subject of school shootings

Yi has no plans to stop introducing difficult and sensitive topics into the community dialogue. The next deliberative forum Yi has planned is scheduled for March 6 with the topic: How should we prevent mass shootings in our communities?

Yi is not blind to the extra layer of sensitivity needed to discuss this topic, considering the proximity of UHCL to Santa Fe High School where in May of 2018 Dimitrios Pagourtzis shot and killed eight students and two teachers.

“I had originally planned to cover this topic last year,” Yi said. “But the passion was too high. It’s been one year since the Parkland shootings and almost a year since Santa Fe. There are already people having these discussions.”

Yi wants to make it very clear that the deliberative forum planned in March is not about Second Amendment rights or about gun violence.

“This is going to be a deliberative dialogue,” Yi said. “It’s not going to be about pro-gun or anti-gun. That’s not the point. There is a strong consensus. Both sides want to make society safer. The problem is that we are framed, by the political environment, by our culture, we are framed to confront each other, even though we don’t want to.”

The student moderators will be key to having this conversation and making it productive, Hoston said.

“The students have to be an integral part of the discussion,” Hoston said. “There should be student moderators, student questions. Students ask questions that professors wouldn’t think of. It gives the issue a lot of perspective.”

But, getting past this culture of competitive ideology during these deliberative forums can be difficult, Curtis explains.

“Most times, discussions on these topics quickly turn into an argument, a debate,” Curtis said. “In a debate, somebody wins, and somebody loses. A deliberative forum is not a debate. The point isn’t to win or lose. It’s to find what we can agree on. It’s a new experience for a lot of folks. You’re not there to shut someone down, but to listen to others. That’s so valuable.”

Moving forward

Yi hopes to use the recognition he has received, both on the local and national level, to expand the deliberative forums program in the community.

“My plan, next semester, next year,” Yi said. “I want to reach out to the local community, to public libraries and schools, and host deliberative forums there, to increase community engagement. I also want to be able to exchange student moderators with other schools and to get more guest speakers.”

It all comes back to these student moderators, Yi explained.

“The award is not about me,” Yi said. “It’s about our student moderators. These student moderators volunteered for this. It’s not for a class or a credit. And they will use this skill after graduation. This is a community school, these are members of the community. Having members with this type of deliberative dialogue training will be a positive change to our community life and perspective.”

There’s no way to downplay the value that training and exposure to deliberative dialogue can bring to every individual in society, Yi emphasized.

“This training is offered to everybody,” Yi said. “We all need it. We refrain ourselves from talking about politics, afraid we will hurt our friendships, our relationships. But, talking about these things is what democracy is about. Some students have been let down by the polarization of politics. We should not fear talking about politics. I want to invite all students to join this forum, to learn to talk to each other, to listen and to enjoy the conversation.”

The next deliberative forum asking the question “How do we prevent mass shootings in our communities?” will be held March 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m in Bayou Building 1335. It is sponsored by the Political Science Student Organization. For information, contact Yi at Yi@UHCL.edu.