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Practices of listening to strangers

6 important questions on Practices of listening to strangers

What are the norms within seminar and deliberation take place?

Teachers establish norms for discussions.
- listen to and build on ons another's comments
- invite others into the discussion
- hear all sides equally
- speak one at the time

This is equity and trust education, according to Parker.
Equity - political friendship's core.
Political trust - its safety net.

What obstacles will arise?

- Troubling speech
- Disturbing silence
- Speakers and viewpoints will be marginalized.
- The myriad difficulties of discussion pedagogy will surface.

Making it a curriculum objective in it's own right.

Why does Parker use Hanh as an example?

He is a leading exponent of formal meditation as a practice of relaxed (not clinging to the usual categories) and openended (less expectant) listening.

What does Parker mean by the role of agency in listening?

That a listener:
- needs actually to do something
- can do something to pave the way for a more capacious and genuine hearing.

Allen names three guidelines by which a listener might prepare the way for the generation of trust. Which three?

1) ask whether the speaker has spoken as a political friend (equity and trust)
2) Seperate a speaker's claims about facts from the principles on which her conclusions are based; assess both (scheidt feiten van principes)
3) Ask who is sacrificing for whom, whether the sacrifices are voluntary and honored; whether they can and will be reciprocated

These are practices not promises.

What's the purpose of the practice of reciprocity, humility and caution?

Not to avoid challenging a speaker substantively or disagreeing. The point is to generate a greater degree of equity and the assurance that a speaker's vulnerabilities won't be exploited.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

3.2 Parker; Listening to strangers: Classroom discussion in democratic education

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