Dialogue is an essential foundation for effective leadership in today’s world. This course examines what dialogue is, how it functions, and what it means to engage meaningfully with others across a range of contexts—from organizations and communities to personal relationships and family dynamics.
Students will explore the philosophical, theoretical, and practical dimensions of dialogue, considering its role in building relationships, sustaining communities, and fostering collaborative learning. Through literature, research, and experiential practice, we will examine how dialogue supports decision-making, problem-solving, and perspective-taking. We will also address the consequences of miscommunication and the absence of dialogue, analyzing how such breakdowns can undermine trust and erode the effectiveness of organizations and relationships. Special attention will be given to the role of context in shaping dialogic processes and outcomes.
As we navigate an increasingly digital and complex world, this course positions dialogue as a vital tool for addressing real-world challenges. Students will gain hands-on experience in dialogic practices and learn how dialogue can act as a lever for change in polarizing situations.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Differentiate between discussion, debate, and dialogue, understanding which tools are useful to use in different settings
- Practice using dialogic skills to engage in communication
- Organize and prepare an effective dialogue
- Describe dialogue as a leadership strategy
- Select dialogic tools to employ for specific settings
*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.
Instructor
- Vice Dean for Academic Excellence and Engagement, School of Arts and Sciences
As Vice Dean for Academic Excellence and Engagement, Brighid Dwyer, PhD, provides leadership in pursuit of the School’s core commitments to achieving and maintaining excellence. She has twenty years of experience as a practitioner, scholar, and professor. Before joining Penn in 2021, she served as… Read more
