Candidate: Cherise Brandell

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Public Affairs and Administration

Title: Building Social Capital through Structured Public Discourse

Committee:
Dr. Robert Peters, Chair
Dr. Peter Kobrak
Dr. Wendy Wintermute

Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
SPAA Conference Room, Walwood

Abstract:
Today in communities across the nation people are expressing concern over the lack of the trusting relationships of social capital as discontent with government at all levels. Current times abound with examples of citizen distaste, discontent, discouragement and distrust of the very social institutions created to serve people and their goals in our various communities of connection through common purpose. Public administrators and elected officials in some communities, however, are attempting to reconnect with residents through the use of structured public discourse processes that divine common purposes and recreate relationships of trust.
The literature appears to support an assertion that in order to create trusting relationships, these discourse processes must embody three primary and underlying principles: they must be open (inclusive), honest, and fair. The study assesses whether the structured public discourse model used by one community truly embodied the underlying principles when applied in practice in the community.
The particular model reviewed in the study describes discourse as a process to build agreements and relationships of trust. These trusting relationships are based on clarification of shared values expressed as a public judgment during the discourse process, forming freely chosen group will to act. The study theorizes that this process both requires and builds social capital if the process is truly open, honest and fair.
The City of Battle Creek, Michigan worked with consultant to encourage greater community participation in policy and program decision-making through a structured discourse model designed to embody the principles of open, honest and fair. A case study of three of Battle Creek's community decision-making processes is used to test the model's applicability of the principles of open, honest and fair when put into practice.

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