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Manuals
and Guides: Community
Planning
Community-wide Study Circle Programs:
A Step-by-Step Guide
Writers
and editors: Martha McCoy, Phyllis Emigh, Matt Leighninger, Molly
Barrett
Production:
Francine Nichols
©1996 Topsfield
Foundation, Inc.
Planning
Community-wide Study Circle Programs: A Step-by-Step Guide was
developed by the Study Circles Resource Center (SCRC), a project
of the Topsfield Foundation, Inc. The goal of SCRC is to advance
deliberative democracy and improve the quality of public life
in the United States. By promoting small-group, democratic, participatory
discussions on social and political issues, SCRC hopes to contribute
to a more enlightened and involved citizenry capable of making
decisions based on informed judgment.
Planning
Community-wide Study Circle Programs: A Step-by-step Guide is
dedicated to the many people across the country who have invented,
refined, and applied the idea of community-wide dialogue. These
individuals have each devoted hundreds of hours to this work,
and have endured endless quizzing from SCRC staff and others seeking
the secrets to their success.
You'll find
in these pages ideas and documents from programs all over the
country. We note especially the inspired "pledge of participation,"
originally devised by Selena Singletary, Director, Department
of Human Relations, Housing and Neighborhood Services for the
City of Springfield, Ohio. Robin Parker, Deputy Attorney General
of New Jersey, developed superb prototypes for several other sample
documents.
Manual
Index
Part
I: Introduction
Part
II: Basic Steps in Creating a Community-wide Program
Part
III: Sample Documents
Part
IV: Stories of Community-wide Study Circle Programs
Part V: Appendices
Contents
Part
I: Introduction
Introduction
Since 1993,
thousands of citizens in Lima, Ohio, have taken part in small-group
discussions to address some of their community's most pressing
issues. The first year of the discussions centered on race relations,
an issue the mayor described as the great silent issue which underlies
all of our other concerns. To provide a way for the community
to deal with race relations, the mayor's office, The Ohio State
University at Lima, and the Clergy Task Force joined together
to sponsor discussions among paired congregations across the city.
The following year, the sponsors built on the success of those
discussions, and encouraged businesses and schools to join the
program. The core working group also grew, as the Allen-Lima Leadership
Organization took on some of the organizing responsibilities.
In their third year, the working group decided to apply the study
circle model to address the issue of violence, a matter of growing
concern in Lima. Still more community members joined the discussions
at this stage. Today, a Study Circle Council meets regularly in
the mayor's office to help coordinate the discussions, to report
on their results, and to help connect the discussions to community-wide
action. According to Mayor Berger, "Participants come out of these
discussions fundamentally changed. This city will never be the
same."
As part
of the year-long Minneapolis Quality Schools Study in 1992-93,
about 40 study circles formed to help citizens discuss major objectives
for the city's schools. Associate Superintendent Carol Johnson
notes that the study circles' impact went far beyond the Study's
report by helping to upgrade the quality of debate and discussion
surrounding the fall election of a new mayor and three new school
board members. "Educational issues could have been polarizing,
but because of the study circles and other aspects of the Minneapolis
Quality Schools Study, no one was able to present the issues as
simple sound bites. People knew, for example, that they were not
faced with a choice between equity and excellence."
These and
other large-scale discussion programs marked the beginning of
what has become a centerpiece of our efforts at the Study Circles
Resource Center (SCRC) to promote grassroots deliberation on public
issues.
We are currently
advising dozens of communities that are working to establish broad-based,
democratic discussions. Each community is special, with its unique
concerns, people, ways of working, assets, and needs. Inevitably,
each community must find its own way to build dialogue and citizen
involvement. There are, however, important precedents, principles,
and lessons that can provide guidance along the way.
This guide
summarizes what we have reamed from hundreds and hundreds of visits,
phone conversations, news articles, and more. Obviously, we cannot
convey all the nuances of these lessons, but we have tried to
distill the essence of a model that you can readily adapt to your
own community.
Whether
you are in the public, private, or nonprofit sector, or a single
concerned citizen, you can begin to collaborate with others to
apply the basic, hands-on lessons laid out in this guide. We hope
that Planning Community-wide Study Circle Programs: A Step-by-step
Guide will be both inspirational and informational as you work
to create broad-based democratic discussion of the critical issues
your community is facing.
What
are study circles?
Study circles
are grounded historically in the U.S. town meeting tradition and
in the study groups of the Chautauqua era at the turn of the century.
Most simply, they are groups of 5 to 15 people who agree to meet
several times—usually for 4 or 5 sessions—to grapple
with a social or political issue in a democratic, nonpartisan,
and collaborative way. Complex issues are broken down into manageable
subdivisions, and controversial topics are dealt with in depth.
Meeting for several sessions provides the opportunity to develop
continuity and camaraderie. At the same time, setting a specific
and limited number of sessions makes it possible for busy people
to participate. Accessible reading material provides a common
starting point for the discussions and helps group members consider
a range of views.
Study circles
are voluntary and highly participatory. They do not look to experts
for the final word on an issue, but use expert opinion as one
way to inform ideas and choices. All viewpoints are taken seriously
and each participant has an equal opportunity to participate so
that the group can capitalize on the unique wisdom and experience
of all its members. The process—democratic discussion among
equals—is as important as the content.
Study circles
differ from typical public meetings in that they do not begin
with specific desired outcomes. Also, study circles provide comfortable,
open settings for everyone to explore public issues without the
need to defend a position. People are invited to share their ideas,
listen to one another, and learn together. In the process, they
can better understand what the community as a whole is facing,
and begin to explore ideas for what the community might do.
Because
agreement is not an objective of the discussions, people are free
to engage in dialogue rather than debate. This freedom allows
them to explore the kinds of action they would like to take, knowing
that they will not be pressured into agreeing to a particular
conclusion or action step. Yet the democratic exploration of community
concerns frequently leads to collaboration and action since people
emerge from the study circle with an increased understanding of
community concerns and assets, and with a new network of community
contacts.
In the past,
most study circles have taken place within single organizations.
Churches, synagogues, and community groups; businesses and unions;
social service agencies; advocacy organizations; and schools,
colleges, and universities have all used study circles to help
their members and constituents consider vital issues. Recently,
however, the growing desire to cross sectors in order to build
community has led to a relatively new phenomenon—the community-wide
study circle program.
What
are community-wide study circle programs?
Community-wide
study circle programs are large-scale, broad-based discussion
programs involving dozens of study circles. The organizational
models for these programs vary, but the programs always involve
extensive collaboration among community institutions for a common
purpose: the involvement of ordinary citizens from all parts of
the community in open discussions of a critical issue.
Community-wide
study circle programs have addressed various issues, including
race relations, violence, and education. They generally develop
out of a powerful sense that "We've got to do something about
this problem." This sense of urgency sometimes arises from a local
crisis or an upcoming policy decision. In other cases, it comes
from a growing feeling that the community is "stuck" in one place
on an issue, or that an ongoing problem is eroding the community's
well-being. In addition to great concern about a particular issue,
many organizers of study circle programs hold a strong personal
conviction that the community can truly address its concerns only
when community members from all walks of life have real opportunities
to hear each other and to work together democratically.
As community-wide
study circle programs bear the fruits of increased citizen involvement,
they often evolve into successive "rounds" of discussions. Programs
sometimes begin within a well-defined segment of the community
(such as members of churches or neighborhood associations) and
then expand to include other sectors of the community. Or, the
success of discussions on one issue often causes the community
to see the value of talking on another issue. By organizing successive
rounds, the community can develop expertise along the way, give
new sponsors and participants opportunities to become involved,
and allow feedback from participants to shape the overall program.
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What
do communities gain from community-wide study circles?
Bringing
the vision of broad-based democratic discussion to fruition requires
organizational commitment and hard work. Yet program organizers
find this work worthwhile because their efforts result in many
meaningful gains for the community.
On
the Personal Level
- Study
circle participants have the opportunity to develop their own
views and to connect their experiences to public issues. This
gives participants an opportunity to "take ownership" of an
issue—an important first step in initiating or reinvigorating
participation in public life.
- Participants
explore not just their own beliefs, but the beliefs that others
hold. They learn that they can disagree without being disagreeable
or feeling threatened.
- Participants
form new friendships and new community connections. "I never
knew anyone on the other side of town. Now I have friends there,"
said one participant.
- Participants
learn that they are not alone in wanting to address an issue,
and often find allies for their work. Even when they decide
to take individual action, they know that they are part of something
bigger than themselves, and that they can make a difference.
For
Organizations that Sponsor or Organize the Discussions
- Study
circles broaden sponsors' connections to the community. Organizations
frequently find new board members and other volunteers from
previously underrepresented segments of their city. They may
also receive input so that they can better carry out their organizational
goals.
- New working
relationships with other organizations develop. In part, this
happens as people from various organizations become acquainted
with one another. It also comes from the collaborative nature
of creating a study circle program: organizational leaders have
the opportunity to explore common ground, and to examine their
collective ability to inspire dialogue and increase public involvement.
Within
the Community as a Whole
- New approaches
to solving community problems emerge as people better understand
that their personal concerns cut across the entire community:
How do we encourage our young people? How do we make sure that
people can get decent jobs? How can we stem crime and violence?
- When the
study circles are racially diverse, they help to bridge divisions
of race and ethnicity and to establish strong, interracial networks
for community problem solving.
- New relationships
among individuals, among organizations, and between the public
and community institutions strengthen the connections that give
a community both strength and vitality.
- When a
wide range of community institutions works together to create
the study circle program, the study circles lead to new collaboration
among community sectors.
- The study
circles often result in action steps that include everything
from new playgrounds, increased volunteerism in current programs,
to new large-scale programs designed to address community problems.
How
does SCRC support community-wide discussion programs?
The Study
Circles Resource Center first began promoting small-group discussion
programs in January of 1990. SCRC is a project of the Topsfield
Foundation, which has a long history of promoting grassroots participation
in social and political issues. Support from the Foundation's
endowment enables SCRC staff to provide free consultation via
phone, fax, and mail. In addition, an SCRC staff member is occasionally
able to visit community-wide study circle programs.
SCRC staff
members work with community leaders at every stage of creating
a community-wide study circle program, from sharing descriptions
of various organizational models, to working through situations
within a budding coalition, to advising on kickoff events, to
writing letters of support for funding proposals.
Sometimes,
we can assist with on-site training; if other obligations do not
permit that, we can often put you in touch with someone who can
conduct an initial training event. SCRC also supports community-wide
programs by providing discussion materials free of charge whenever
possible.
We hope
that Planning Community-wide Study Circle Programs: A Step-by-step
Guide will be another important part of our assistance. It will
surely be an improvement over past scenarios, when organizers
worked from hurried notes made during phone conversations with
SCRC staff!
You will
find in this resource some general guidelines for establishing
community-wide discussion programs. We are very aware, however,
that there are no hard-and-fast, one-size-fits-all rules. We strongly
encourage you to call us, to tell us about your community and
the goals for your program, and to share with us your plans and
ideas. While bearing in mind the unique aspects of your efforts,
we will do our best to share lessons reamed from other programs
around the country.
In talking
with us and sharing your local program's stories, challenges,
and successes, you will also aid in the evolution of this document.
Planning Community-wide Study Circle Programs is a work in progress,
a snapshot of our current understanding of best practices. Its
flexible format is designed to allow updates and supplements as
we continue to learn and to refine our advice. This reaming and
refinement can happen only through communication with people like
you.
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How
is this document organized?
In this
resource you will find the following sections:
Part
I, this introduction.
Part
II contains the basic how-to information for organizing community-wide
study circle programs. It begins with "A Summary of Basic Steps".
The remainder of Part II elaborates on these steps.
Part
III provides sample documents that you can adapt for your
program.
Part
IV tells the stories of some community-wide study circle programs
throughout the country.
Part
V contains additional resources that will assist you in your
planning.
Supplementary
resources include SCRC's The Study Circle Handbook and
A Guide to Training Study Circle Leaders. Other items that
might be helpful, depending on the specifics of your program,
are samples of SCRC's topical discussion programs, Guidelines
for Creating Effective Study Circle Materials, and Study
Circles in Paired Congregations: Enriching Your Community Through
Shared Dialogue on Vital Issues.
Please remember
that this guide is just one aspect of SCRC's support for community-wide
study circle programs. Call us so that we can assist you in developing
your program. We also want to document your work so that others
can learn from your innovations.
Terminology
Each community
organizes its study circles in a unique way, and has its own ways
of referring to the different roles that organizations and people
play. In this guide, we use the following terminology:
The handful
of organizations and people who form the working group do the
"heavy lifting" to make a community-wide study circle program
happen. Frequently, one or two key people staff the program and
provide overall coordination. Other members of the working group
may train the leaders and provide ongoing training support for
discussion leaders. To help reach into the broader community,
the working group also recruits a larger group of sponsors. (We
will often refer to your working group and sponsors collectively
as your coalition.) In addition to lending their resources and
credibility to the program, the sponsors in some communities recruit
study circle organizers—the people who coordinate individual
study circles. Depending on how you organize your program, they
may be responsible for everything from arranging sites to recruiting
discussion leaders and participants.
Back
to top
Manual
Index
Part
I: Introduction
Part
II: Basic Steps in Creating a Community-wide Program
Part
III: Sample Documents
Part
IV: Stories of Community-wide Study Circle Programs
Part V: Appendices
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