Hard to say, hard to hear, heart to heart: Inviting and harnessing strong emotions in dialogue for deliberation

Abstract

This article will examine the nature and place of strong emotion related to deep identity differences that may be part of deliberative processes and dialogue that can augment deliberation by engaging emotion in useful ways. It will discuss the experience of "resonance," the value of emotional expression in relationships as well the danger that unbounded expression of emotion can pose. It will also cover the ways in which dialogue planning, process and facilitation can support participants' self-regulation and co-regulation of emotion, enhancing the mutual understanding and connection that are building-blocks of deliberative processes.