Intergroup Dialogue: Engaging Difference, Social Identities and Social Justice

Intergroup dialogue is a form of democratic engagement that fosters communication, critical reflection, and collaborative action across social and cultural divides. Engaging social identities is central to this approach. In recent years, intergroup dialogue has emerged as a promising social justice education practice that addresses pressing issues in higher education, school and community settings. This edited volume provides a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of intergroup dialogue spanning conceptual frameworks for practice, and most notably a diverse set of research studies which examine in detail the processes and learning that take place through dialogue.

This book addresses questions from the fields of education, social psychology, sociology, and social work, offering specific recommendations and examples related to curriculum and pedagogy. Furthermore, it contributes to an understanding of how to constructively engage students and others in education about difference, identities, and social justice.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Equity & Excellence in Education.

Ximena Zúñiga is Associate Professor in Social Justice Education in the Department of Student Development, part of the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA. Her scholarly, research, and practice interests include theorizing intergroup dialogues using qualitative and action research methodologies, critical dialogic theory, and social justice education in higher education.

Gretchen E. Lopez is Director of the Intergroup Dialogue Program and Assistant Professor of Cultural Foundations of Education in the School of Education at Syracuse University, USA. The research she conducts focuses on issues of race and gender in higher education and intergroup dialogue as an expression of social justice education in college, university, and high school settings.

Kristie A. Ford is Director of the Intergroup Relations Program and Associate Professor of Sociology at Skidmore College, USA. Her research explores the connections between race, gender, and intersecting social identities in relationship to body management practices, and social justice focused pedagogical practices in higher education.