Using Focus Groups to Address Contemporary Issues: How to Conduct Deliberative Dialogues

Location

DeSantis Room 1052

Format Type

Plenary

Format Type

Workshop

Start Date

17-1-2020 8:45 AM

End Date

17-1-2020 9:35 AM

Abstract

Many issues in society today are wicked problems (Rittel & Weber, 1973) that do not have one right or wrong answer, but consist of a complex interplay of factors. Deliberation is a way to explore contemporary issues by critically examining different approaches to solve largescale community problems. Focus groups are an effective way to help people tackle controversial problems that are not easily solved and weigh different options. Kamberelis and Dimitriadis (2005) described how focus groups are useful when exploring “real-world problems and asymmetries in the distribution of economic and social capital” (887).

Deliberative dialogues are a type of focus group that provides a framework to help people discuss issues and consider diverse perspectives on difficult topics (National Issues Forums Institute, 2014). The point of the deliberation is not to debate or convince someone of why one side is right and the other wrong, but to hear others’ perspectives and find common ground on issues and to formulate potential actions to address problems faced.

The purpose of this workshop is to teach participants about Deliberative Dialogues and how to facilitate this type of focus group using the issue guides developed by the National Issue Forums Institute (NIFI). NIFI’s issue guides address various contemporary issues (e.g., opioid epidemic, immigration, safety and justice, climate). Using deliberative dialogue focus groups helps people not only explore contemporary issues, but also learn how to discuss potentially controversial topics in a deliberative manner where they consider various options and search for common ground amongst diverse perspectives.

Keywords

focus group, qualitative research, deliberative dialogue

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Jan 17th, 8:45 AM Jan 17th, 9:35 AM

Using Focus Groups to Address Contemporary Issues: How to Conduct Deliberative Dialogues

DeSantis Room 1052

Many issues in society today are wicked problems (Rittel & Weber, 1973) that do not have one right or wrong answer, but consist of a complex interplay of factors. Deliberation is a way to explore contemporary issues by critically examining different approaches to solve largescale community problems. Focus groups are an effective way to help people tackle controversial problems that are not easily solved and weigh different options. Kamberelis and Dimitriadis (2005) described how focus groups are useful when exploring “real-world problems and asymmetries in the distribution of economic and social capital” (887).

Deliberative dialogues are a type of focus group that provides a framework to help people discuss issues and consider diverse perspectives on difficult topics (National Issues Forums Institute, 2014). The point of the deliberation is not to debate or convince someone of why one side is right and the other wrong, but to hear others’ perspectives and find common ground on issues and to formulate potential actions to address problems faced.

The purpose of this workshop is to teach participants about Deliberative Dialogues and how to facilitate this type of focus group using the issue guides developed by the National Issue Forums Institute (NIFI). NIFI’s issue guides address various contemporary issues (e.g., opioid epidemic, immigration, safety and justice, climate). Using deliberative dialogue focus groups helps people not only explore contemporary issues, but also learn how to discuss potentially controversial topics in a deliberative manner where they consider various options and search for common ground amongst diverse perspectives.