On Dialogue and Transformation |
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Dialogue, Creativity, and Change. It seems odd to us to write about dialogue, creativity, and change without attempting to explicitly integrate the conversational partners with whom we are engaged. This means not only incorporating others' ways of describing dialogue processes, but also, embodying in our text our voices as respondents to each other. Thus, we begin this chapter with a transcript of a conversation we had about dialogue, creativity, and change. After our initial comments, we each take some time to elaborate our specific points. In this way, our hope is to present a chapter that is emblematic of open dialogue (Seikkula, Aaltonen, Alakara, Haarakangas, Keranen, & Sutela, 1995). |
Reflections on Critical Moments as Transformations. It seems to me that the notion of critical moments is of concern to all of us because, first and foremost, we want to be better negotiators. We want to have a deeper understanding of what we do. Secondly, we want to be able to teach and train other people about what we do. With those goals in mind, let me touch on the highlights of the articles in this section where critical moments are seen as potential transformations. |
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Toward a Vocabulary of Transformative Dialogue. Most of us feel more comfortable in certain groups than others, and indeed find certain people just plain wrong headed or evil - perhaps neo-Nazis, the KKK, the Mafia, terrorist groups. This sense of alterity - distance or separation from particular others - is virtually an inevitable outcome of social life. As we come to generate realities and moralities within specific groups - families, friendships, the workplace, the religious setting - so do our interlocutors become invaluable resources. With their support - either explicit or implicit - we gain the sense of who we are, what is real, and what is right... |
Relational Bridges Between Constructionism and Constructivism. A good deal has been written about the distinction between constructivist and constructionist versions of psychology. At worst, the two are viewed as competing orientations; one – constructivism – whose focus is on internal, cognitive processes of individuals; the other – social constructionism – whose focus is on discourse or the joint (social) activities that transpire between people. At best, the two are viewed as similar because of their focus on meaning-making processes... |
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The Relational Construction of Meaning: Out of the Head and Into the Discourse. According to the traditional view of language, we generally treat words and gestures as if they pictured an independent world. This tradition fosters a belief that there could be a correct way to put things, a better method for reaching truth, or a more accurate representation of what is really there. And, if language pictures reality and it is individual speakers who utter words, then accurate representation of reality must be accomplished by individuals whose words reflect the inner workings of their minds. With this view in place, it is not difficult for us to describe how we have come to focus on individuals and their words or actions as a way of understanding the internal, mysterious mind as well as the social world. |
Transformative Dialogue:
Coordinating Conflicting
Moralities. I would like to invite you, the reader, to reflect on some issues that I
believe are crucial for us to consider. We live in a world of differences
and conflict. We are globally connected in ways that have not been
previously possible, highlighting differences and conflicts of significant
proportion. Daily people die due to our collective inability to navigate
our differences. Many of us feel the desire to do things differently – to
understand, to connect – yet, we are frozen by uncertainty. I would
like to offer some rudimentary ideas about what we might do to confront |
Samples of Sheila's Work
Below is a sampling of published chapters and articles available for reading and downloading. Please do not reproduce without permission.
The documents are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. To download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, go to: http://www.adobe.com
