To the Editor:
Last Wednesday, thirty Dartmouth students attended a unique event sponsored by the Tucker Foundation. It was a workshop led by the Public Conversations Project (PCP), a group of family therapists based in Watertown, Mass. During the workshop, Dartmouth students took part in an experimental discussion of social class. PCP fostered this discussion as an extension of their work with groups who have opposing viewpoints on controversial issues such as abortion and environmental policy.
The session began with an introductory speech by Richard Chasin, a member of PCP. He described the purpose of the project and the plan for the evening. Attendees were then split into small groups composed of six to eight students, one PCP facilitato, and one Dartmouth-associated facilitator.
Discussions in small groups were orderly and directed. There were various exercises in which students participated, including intimate discussions in groups of two. The facilitators respected the right to privacy of all participants and worked to keep the conversation evolving while retaining focus.
Personally, I found this event to be refreshing and invigorating. Social class is an issue that affects all of us at Dartmouth, but one that is usually avoided in conversation. Since the advent of political correctness, social class has been a concern rarely discussed with the frankness it was on Wednesday evening.
I truly hope that this will be a first step towards further discussion on this topic and continued programming sponsored by the Tucker Foundation.
