Essential Partners

This article will examine the nature and place of strong emotion related to deep identity differences that may be part of deliberative processes and dialogue that can augment deliberation by engaging emotion in useful ways. It will discuss the experience of "resonance," the value of emotional expression in relationships as well the danger that unbounded expression of emotion can pose. It will also cover the ways in which dialogue planning, process and facilitation can support participants' self-regulation and co-regulation of emotion, enhancing the mutual understanding and connection that are building-blocks of deliberative processes.

Models help bridge the gap between observing and making---especially when systems are involved (as in designing for interaction, service, and evolution). This forum introduces new models, links them to existing models, and describes their history and why they matter.