Academic Research and Publications
Reflective Structured Dialogue, the innovative relational communication framework developed by the founders of Essential Partners (known until 2014 as the Public Conversations Project) has been rigorously researched. Its impact and outcomes have been tested through real-world case studies and shared in peer-reviewed publications.
Below, you will find a repository of publications in academic journals and edited volumes that discuss Reflective Structured Dialogue, the Dialogic Classroom adaptation, applications within civic and educational contexts, as well as EP's scalable theory of change.
On Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD)
Carol Becker PhD, Laura Chasin MSW, Richard Chasin MD, Margaret Herzig, Sallyann Roth MSW, Robert Stains, Jr MEd. “From diatribe to dialogue on divisive public issues: Approaches drawn from family therapy,” Conflict Resolution Quarterly. 323 (1995-1996)
Barthold, Lauren. Overcoming Polarization in the Public Square, Palgrave Macmillan (2021).
Carol Becker PhD; Laura Chasin MSW; Richard Chasin MD; Margaret Herzig; Sallyann Roth MSW. (1995) “From Stuck Debate to New Conversation on Controversial Issues,” Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 7:1-2, 143-163.
Doornbosch, L. M., van Vuuren, M., & de Jong, M. D. T. (2024). Brave Conversations Within Safe Spaces: Exploring Participant Behavior in Community Dialogues. Small Group Research, 0(0).
Weaver, C., Brown, J., Brady, L., Carlquist, P., Dotson, S., Faldmo, M. D., Hall, P. C., & Glenn, J. (2023). Reflective structured dialogue as a tool for addressing wicked public health problems. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1220029.
Hill, A. (2023). Digital Storytelling and Ethics: Collaborative Creation and Facilitation (1st ed.). Routledge.
Stains Jr, Robert; Sarrouf, John. (2022) “Hard to say, hard to hear, heart to heart: Inviting and harnessing strong emotions in dialogue for deliberation,” Journal of Deliberative Democracy 18(2).
Gower, Katherine Fitzgerald. (2022) “Exploring an Online Adaptation of Reflective Structured Dialogue,” University of Georgia ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2022. 29060952.
Gower, Katherine; Cornelius, Llewelyn; Rawls, Raye; Walker, Brandy B. (2020) “Reflective structured dialogue: A qualitative thematic analysis,” Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 37(3).
Lewis-Thornton, Vonya L. (2019) “Equipping Pastors with a Modified Dialogue Methodology to Facilitate Bible Study,” Faith International University ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2019. 27838389.
Stains Jr, Robert, (2016) “Cultivating Courageous Communities through the Practice and Power of Dialogue,” Mitchell Hamline Law Review, 42(5).
Stains Jr. Robert, (2014) “Repairing the Breach: The Power of Dialogue to Heal Relationships and Communities”, Journal of Public Deliberation 10(1).
Staller, Karen M. (2014). “Difficult conversations: Talking with rather than talking at.” Qualitative Social Work, 13(2), 167–175.
Hunzer, Kathleen M. (2008) “Lessons from the Public Sphere: Listening, Adversity, and Learning,” International Journal of Listening, 22(1) p90-98.
Tonn, Mari Boor. (2005). “Taking Conversation, Dialogue, and Therapy Public.” Rhetoric and Public Affairs, 8(3), 405–430.
Haydon, Mark; Elliott, Nick. (2005) “Internal Consultancy and the Public Conversations Project: A Dialogic Consultation,” Journal of Systemic Therapies, 23(3).
Stains Jr, Robert. (2001) “Reflective Training: Matching Educational Practice with Transformative Intention,” Designing Mediation: Approaches to Training and Practice within a Transformative Framework, J. Folger and R. Baruch Bush (eds.), Ch 12, 153-167. New York: Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation Inc., 2001
Carol Becker PhD; Laura Chasin MSW; Richard Chasin MD; Margaret Herzig; Sallyann Roth MSW. (1995) "Across the Chasm," In Context, Vol. 20, March 1995, 33-35.
On RSD in the Civic & Political Sphere
Bishop, Laura, "Power to the People: Libraries as Third Spaces for Civic Dialogue and Collaborative Empowerment" (2022). Community Engagement Student Work. 79.
Bethel, Joyous C; Dinse, Ling; Foels, Leonora E. (2022) “Conversations on Oppression, Racism, and Religious Oppression: Evaluating Meaning,” Social Work & Christianity, Vol. 49, No. 1 (2022), 67-86
Brooks, Maegan Parker; Gutterman, David. (2021) “Reckoning with Racism: A Challenge for Deliberative Democracy,” Journal of Deliberative Democracy 17(1), 169-175.
Pritchard, Daniel E. (2021) “Scaling a Community Bridge-Building Initiative: Howard County Courageous Conversations and Essential Partners,” Dispute Resolution Journal, 75(4).
Goi, Simona. (2005) “Agonism, Deliberation, and the Politics of Abortion,” Polity, v37, n1.
Anderson, Rob; Cissna, Kenneth; Clune, Meghan K. (2003) “The Rhetoric of Public Dialogue,” Communication Research Trends, 22(1), p23-24.
Carol Becker PhD; Laura Chasin MSW; Richard Chasin MD; Margaret Herzig; Sallyann Roth MSW. (1992) "Fostering Dialogue on Abortion: A Report from the Public Conversations Project." Conscience, XIII:3 2-9.
On RSD in Higher & Secondary Education
Ross, K. (2024). Building peace through dialogic teaching: the Civic Conversations teacher professional development program. Journal of Peace Education, 1–27.
Sarrouf, John. (2023) “Bias, Belief, and Conviction in an Age of Fake Facts,” Routledge, 181-201.
Robbins, Margaret A; Silva, Liana M. (2023) “High School Matters: Care-full Conversations in Curricular Spaces,” English Journal, Volume 112, Issue 5, May 2023, p. 13-16.
Marques, Pamela Lopes; Vilela e Souza, Laura. (2022) “Positioning in the dialogue on gender and sexual diversity in Brazilian schools,” Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 40(1).
Harris, Helen; Counseller, Jeremy. (2022) “Reflective Structured Dialogue: Faculty in a Christian University Discuss LGBTQ+ Inclusion.” Social Work & Christianity, 49(1), 48–66.
Bandyopadhyay, Soham. (2021) “Moving beyond diversity in curricula,” The Clinical Teacher, 18(5).
Warner, K., Laughlin, M., Kim, L., Nguyen, H.N. (2021). Dialogue and Systems Theory: Teaching Public Conversations in Family Therapy. In: Desai, A., Nguyen, H.N. (eds) Global Perspectives on Dialogue in the Classroom. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
DeTemple, Jill. (2020) “The Spaces We Make: Dialogic Classrooms and Social Transformation,” Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, 35(5), 753-780
Shapiro, Shawna. (2020). “Inclusive Pedagogy in the Academic Writing Classroom: Cultivating Communities of Belonging,” Journal of Academic Writing, 10(1), 154–164.
Johnson, June. "Reframing Communication From a ‘Message Delivery Stance’ to a ‘Listening/Learning Stance’: Teaching Collaborative Rhetoric For Civic Engagement." Journal of Teaching Writing 35.1 (2020): 1-33.
Hyten, Katie; Sarrouf, John. (2019) “Creating Cultures of Dialogue in Higher Education,” Creating Space for Democracy, Routledge.
DeTemple, Jill; Gallagher, Eugene V; Lan, Kwok Pui; Pearson, Thomas. (2019) “Reflective structured dialogue: A conversation with 2018 American Academy of Religion excellence in teaching award winner Jill DeTemple,” Teaching Theology & Religion, 22(3).
DeTemple, Jill; Sarrouf, John. (2017) “Disruption, dialogue, and swerve: Reflective structured dialogue in religious studies classrooms,” Teaching Theology & Religion, 20(3).
Buie, Sarah; Wright, Walter. (2010) “The difficult dialogues initiative at Clark University: A case study,” New Directions for Higher Education, 2010(152).