3. How do we understand
ourselves and others?
❏ Individualistic thinking
❏ Personal perspective as objective
truth
❏ Introspective neglect
DEFINE PROBLEM
4. Democratic societies are losing the art of discourse.
Policy controversies, such as debates on healthcare and
immigration, have become intractable disputes.
Continued and pervading instances of violent behaviour.
DEFINE PROBLEM
Political Controversies
5. Polarization is highest when
exchange within a policy coalition on shared values is strong
and when
exposure between divergent discourse coalitions is weak.
FOUNDATION OF CONFLICT:
Entrenched Positions
Talking Points
While environmental, social, or economic issues stem from their own structural challenges, the way we talk about and address
issues has become problematic.
DEFINE PROBLEM
6. EXPLORE - THEORY
Polarization between discourse coalitions arises from different frames of reference (e.g. values) that
underlie competing positions.
(Clegg, 1989; Falk, 2007; Schö n & Rein, 1994)
Deliberative discourse is a process in which political actors listen to each other, justify positions, show
mutual respect, and are willing to re-evaluate their preferences about competing positions.
(Habermas, 1981, 1991; Fishkin, 1995)
Liberals do not recognize conservative values of loyalty, authority, and sacredness as moral but
acknowledgement of values could serve to bridge discussion.
(Haidt and Graham, 2007)
Social Systems
7. Increasing our understanding around the fundamentals of neurobiology, genetic and environmental imprinting
helps us organize ideas of self-awareness in important ways.
(Behave, Robert Salpolsky, 2017)
Thinking is an automatically unfolding subpersonal process. Many of our thoughts, come to us without our
conscious attention. The unawareness of this cognitive self control loss, is ‘Introspective neglect’
(Thomas Metzinger, 2017)
The human brain has the amazing ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections between brain cells.
Neuroplasticity is the capacity to learn and grow a source of potential most all humans have.
(Dr. Pascale Michelon, 2008)
EXPLORE - THEORY
Systems of Self
9. "My central claims are not empirical, they are about individual and social ideals"
(Cass Sunstein)
Turning the investigative lens inward:
Recognizing bias and obstacles
Researcher as a participant in the process of knowledge construction
IDEATE
Situating the Designer in the Design
IDEATE
10. Personal
Compassion for self
Catharsis
Interpersonal
Participants feel heard and foster compassion
Build trust / understanding through exposure to root motives
Societal
Designed for non-violent communication
Deliberative Democracy: Shifting polarized discourse to
generative conversation
Value Based Design Objectives
IDEATE
Personal
Interpersonal
Societal
12. Deconstruct positions into the
underlying values and
experiences that shaped them.
Re-frame discussion about the
environment, economy, people,
and institutions
Generate discussion on shared
goals and desired future
outcomes.
1 2 3
IDEATE
Nova Agora is a peacebuilding tool designed to reframe
polarized policy discourse.
17. ❏ Survey design and flow
❏ Limiting value categories
❏ Managing hate
❏ The values discovery process empowers and alters behaviour
❏ Values aren’t selected, we discover and reveal them
❏ Making link between position and values more intuitive
FEEDBACK
Participatory Insights
18. Reframing Deliberative Democracy
“The more ideas there are in circulation, the more ideas there are for any individual to disagree with”
(Clay Shirky, 2013)
Flourishing Democracies as systems where citizens engage in generative discourse.
Deliberation as civilized disagreement rather than consensus.
Disagreeing well.
IMPROVE THEORY
19. Phase 2
Design Goals
A. Building in value discovery process
B. Feedback controlled to promote
emotional literacy
C. Use of visuals and responsive design
to connect values and positions in
personal narrative inquiry and in
exploration of others stories.
IMPROVE
20. What other design goals or objectives do you think would
enhance the platform?
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