Exploring Dialogic Social Change A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Karen P. Greiner June 2010 © 2010 Karen P. Greiner. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Exploring Dialogic Social Change by KAREN P. GREINER has been approved for the School of Communication Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Devika Chawla Assistant Professor of Communication Studies ________________________________________ Gregory J. Shepherd Professor of Communication Studies Gregory J. Shepherd Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii Abstract GREINER, KAREN P., Ph.D., June 2010, Communication Studies Exploring Dialogic Social Change (259 pp.) Directors of Dissertation: Devika Chawla and Gregory J. Shepherd This dissertation explores a model of social change which I have labeled “dialogic.” Each of the three cases I have chosen for this study has been included because I believe that the design of each intervention departs significantly and creatively from traditional, less Other-oriented, social change efforts. Dialogic social change begins with the assumption that human beings cannot be developed, modernized, or empowered by external parties. Instead, this conception of change is guided by the assumption that individuals are autonomous, trustworthy beings who are capable of deciding when to engage with new ideas and opportunities for action. First, I analyze the strategic communication of the “Billionaires for Bush,” a group of playful and ironic protesters, most active in New York City preceding the 2004 U.S. Presidential election. In this case I focus on the ability of the Billionaires to creatively inspire and invite civic participation, which resulted in the self-organization of more than 70 “spin off” Billionaires for Bush chapters. The second case I examine is “Scenarios from Africa,” an HIV/AIDS-related communication process in Senegal centered on a script writing contest for young people implemented voluntarily by a vast network of community based organizations. I discuss how the contest promotes youth agency in Senegal, allowing contest participants to shift from their traditional role as targets of information campaigns to instead become creators of HIV prevention content. Finally, I present the “invitational” Cultura Ciudadana (civic culture) communication strategy employed by Antanas Mockus, the former mayor of iii Bogotá Colombia. In the Bogotá case I explore how the Mockus administration creatively promoted civic education and participation by, for example, distributing soccer referee- type cards to encourage citizens to replace violence and aggression with playful symbols when communicating with fellow citizens. Each of the cases involves a communication strategy designed to invite and inspire action, and each case is rooted in the notion that the Other should be respected and is a capable and potentially creative being. I aspire to affect practice by illustrating the process and outcome of three different social change interventions and by suggesting that the dialogic design of these interventions explains their generative potential - their ability to make action possible. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Devika Chawla Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Gregory J. Shepherd Dean, Scripps College of Communication iv Acknowledgments I thank my parents, Kate and John, for their love and unconditional support. My heartfelt appreciation also goes to Carolyn Sorkin and Jacqueline Mattis, two wonderful Professors at New York University who believed in me, got me excited about research and assured me that I had “what it takes” to pursue a doctorate. I thank Arvind Singhal for proving that it is possible to write academic books that have photos, drawings and stories. I also thank him for a well timed “Mother Teresa story,” from which I learned that there is a difference between being anti-war and being pro-peace. I am very grateful to Bill Rawlins for his support and encouragement, and especially for writing “Rock on!” in the margins of my earliest papers as a Doctoral student. His love of dialogic theory was contagious and I am grateful to him for exposing me to the writings of Martin Buber, Mikhail Bakhtin and Gregory Bateson. I thank Rafael Obregon for introducing me to two new worlds; Colombia and the world of Latin American communication theory. Rafael has been a constant supporter and a source of inspiration through his work and writing on social change. I thank Greg Shepherd for introducing me to the Pragmatists and for fanning the flames of my belief in community and in meliorism. I also appreciate the careful attention Greg paid to my writing and the word choices I have made; his feedback and encouragement led to much improved and expanded chapters. I thank Devika Chawla who has more-than-generously supported and mentored me since my first year at Ohio University. Devika has helped me become a better writer and she has taught me just about everything I currently know about academic life. Devika Chawla and Ani Ruhil have been a constant source of v support, guidance, and (no small detail), hot and delicious meals when I most needed them. I am extremely grateful to various individuals and institutions on the Ohio University campus that have supported my work: Steve Howard and Acacia Nikoi, of African Studies, Roxanne Male-Brune and Jean Marie Cackowski-Campbell of the Grant Writing office, Beth Clodfelter in her role as Director of Fulbright programs, and Marina Peterson of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts. Each has been more than generous with their time and, in many cases, with their assistance in helping me access the necessary financial resources to conduct my research. I am equally indebted to Ann Mason, Alexandra Moreno, and the entire staff of Fulbright Colombia for their support and very helpful guidance during my field work in Bogotá. I would like to also thank Judith Lee for her support and guidance throughout my time at Ohio University. I have watched, listened and read her carefully, and I believe that I am a better teacher and a better writer because of her influence. Lastly and importantly, I would like to thank all of the individuals who so graciously gave me their time and attention as I explored their work. Thank you to Kate Winskell, Dan Enger, and Gabriel Diaga Diouf of Scenarios from Africa, Gary Engelberg, Abdoulaye Konaté, Cheikh Ndongo Fall, Diarra Diahkata, Daour Wade, and Moustapha Dieng of Africa Consultants International, Antanas Mockus, Henry Murrain and Monica Delgado of CorpoVisionarios, and finally, Andrew Boyd, Marco Ceglie and Megan Keifer for sharing their insight and experiences with the Billionaires for Bush. vi Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: What is Dialogic Social Change? ...................................................................... 5 Assumptions .................................................................................................................... 6 Characteristics of Dialogic Social Change ................................................................... 15 Primary Influences ........................................................................................................ 18 Martin Buber and Dialogue .......................................................................................... 19 Relation ..................................................................................................................... 20 Genuine Dialogue ..................................................................................................... 24 Mikhail Bakhtin ............................................................................................................ 27 Unfinalizability and Openendedness ........................................................................ 29 Paulo Freire ................................................................................................................... 33 Faith, Trust and Hope ............................................................................................... 34 William James and Meliorism ...................................................................................... 36 Why Are “Dialogic”Approaches to Social Change Needed? ....................................... 38 The Cases: A Brief Summary ....................................................................................... 49 Chapter 2: The Billionaires for Bush ................................................................................ 52 A Gradual Inquiry ......................................................................................................... 58 A Closer Look