Discourse Continuum

The Discourse Continuum is an early resource for the work of Difficult Dialogues, a campus-wide initiative launched in 2006 at Clark University and based at the Higgins School of Humanities. The categories of discourse called out on the continuum (and their implications) have become markedly more apparent in American and worldwide society and media in the years since this document was created.

The work of the Council on the Uncertain Human Future rests in and grows out of the practice of Council, the foundational or essential form of dialogue…

As such, Council does not appear as a separate category on the continuum. An ancient practice, Council is an intentional space in which deep listening and authentic speaking are in service of discernment. It is understood that collective wisdom may emerge between the steady contributions of individual participants, along with insight and discovery at deeper levels. Council practice also builds trust among members of the circle, leading to creative openings and increased collaboration.