Table Talk: Building Democracy One Meal at a Time

Etiquette books insist that we never discuss politics during a meal. In Table Talk, Janet A. Flammang offers a polite rebuttal, presenting vivid firsthand accounts of people\u27s lives at the table to show how mealtimes can teach us the conversational give-and-take foundational to democracy. Delving into the ground rules about listening, sharing, and respect that we obey when we break bread, Flammang shows how conversations and table activities represent occasions for developing our civil selves. If there are cultural differences over practices--who should speak, what behavior is acceptable, what topics are off limits, how to resolve conflict--our exposure to the making, enforcement, and breaking of these rules offers a daily dose of political awareness and growth. Political table talk provides a forum to practice the conversational skills upon which civil society depends. It also ignites the feelings of respect, trust, and empathy that undergird the idea of a common good that is fundamental to the democratic process.https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/faculty_books/1199/thumbnail.jp

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION; THE CASE OF COMPARABLE WORTH IN SAN JOSE

This study examines the effective implementation of a 1981 decision by the San Jose City Council to pay its AFSCME-represented workers $1.45 million iri comparable worth adjustments over the two years. Following a description of expected obstacles, seven reasons for effective implementation are discussed: four beyond the control of implementors-economic health, political climate, collective bargaining context, and scale of the decision-and three within the control of implementors-realism and clarity of policy directive, agency resources and support, and leadership skills. Copyright 1986 by The Policy Studies Organization.