Beyond Just Techniques: Toward Deliberation Facilitation That Minimizes Harm. A Response to “Deliberative Facilitation in the Classroom: The Interplay of Facilitative Technique and Design to Make Space for Democracy”

Abstract

In Deliberative Facilitation in the Classroom: The Interplay of Facilitative Techniques and Design to Make Space for Democracy, the authors offered several useful techniques for the facilitation of standard classroom deliberations. However, not all open controversial issues are created equal, and many have the potential to implicate student identities. In those cases, it is imperative that facilitators move beyond basic techniques and think about how to conduct deliberations that protect marginalized students and do not validate systemic injustices. In this response to Deliberative Facilitation in the Classroom, I extend upon the authors\u27 argument and offer suggestions for how to effectively engage students in deliberations of sensitive issues