Tips for Study Circle Leaders

• Welcome everyone and create a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
• Well-placed humor is always welcome.

At the beginning of the study circle, remind everyone that the purpose of the study circle is to deliberate on the issue at hand in a democratic and collaborative way. Also remind them that your role as leader is to remain neutral, to keep the discussion focused, and to guide the conversation according to the ground rules.

Suggest a few basic ground rules, and ask participants to add their own ideas. Some basic ground rules include:

• All group members are encouraged to express and reflect on their honest opinions; all views should be respected.
• Though disagreement and conflict about ideas can be useful, disagreements should not be personalized. Put-downs, name-calling, labeling, or personal attacks will not be tolerated.
• If someone says something that offends another member of the group (even if inadvertently), people should feel free to explain how the comment affected them.
• It is important to hear from everyone. People who tend to speak a lot in groups should make special efforts to allow others the opportunity to speak.

• Always use your "third eye": you are not only helping to keep the group focused on the content of the discussion, but you will be monitoring how well the participants are communicating with each other -- who has spoken, who hasn't spoken, and whose points haven't yet received a fair hearing.
• Consider splitting up into smaller groups to examine a variety of viewpoints or to give people a chance to talk more easily about their personal connection to the issue.
• When wrestling with when to intervene, err on the side of non-intervention. Don't allow the group to make you the "answer person."
• Don't talk after each comment or answer every question; allow participants to respond directly to each other. The most effective leaders often say little, but are constantly thinking about how to move the group toward its goals.
• Occasionally give participants a chance to sum up the most important points that have come out in the discussion.
• Don't be afraid of silence. It will sometimes take a while for someone to offer an answer to a question you pose.
• Don't let anyone dominate; try to involve everyone.
• Remember: a study circle is not a debate but a group dialogue. If participants forget this, don't hesitate to ask the group to help re-establish the ground rules.

• The best way to help people grapple with a range of views is to keep your own view out of the fray. Your role as facilitator requires that participants see you as neutral and fair, not favoring any one point of view.
• Make sure the group considers a wide range of views. Ask the group to think about the advantages and disadvantages of different ways of looking at an issue or solving a problem. In this way, the tradeoffs involved in making tough choices become apparent.
• Ask participants to think about the concerns and values that underlie their beliefs.
• Don't allow the group to focus on or be overly influenced by one particular personal experience or anecdote.
• Either summarize the discussion occasionally or encourage group members to do so.
• Remain neutral about content and be cautious about expressing your own values.
• Help participants to identify "common ground," but don't try to force consensus.

Ask open-ended questions that don't lend themselves to easy answers:

• What seems to be the key point here?
• What is the crux of your disagreement?
• Does anyone want to add to (or support, or challenge) that point?
• Could you give an example or describe a personal experience to illustrate that point?
• Could you help us understand the reasons behind your opinion?
• What experiences or beliefs might lead decent and caring people to support that point of view?
• What do you think people who hold that opinion care deeply about?
• What would be a strong case against what you just said?
• What do you find most persuasive about that point of view?
• What is it about that position that you just cannot live with?
• Are there any points on which most of us would agree?

• Give participants a chance to talk about the most important thing they gained from the discussion. Or, you may wish to ask participants to share any new ideas or thoughts they've had as a result of the discussion.
• If you will be meeting again, remind the group of the readings and subject for the next session.
• Thank everyone for their contributions.
• Provide some time for the group to evaluate the group process, either through sharing aloud or through a brief written evaluation.

Awareness of cross-cultural dynamics is always useful in a study circle setting, but this is especially true when diversity issues themselves are the subject of conversation.

• Sensitivity, empathy, and familiarity with people of different backgrounds are essential qualities for the leader. If you have not had the opportunity to spend time in a broadly diverse setting, get involved in a community program that gives you that opportunity and helps you understand cross-cultural dynamics.
• Even though some of the conversation inevitably revolves around differences, set a tone of unity in the group. After all, we have more similarities as human beings than differences as members of particular groups. Having co-moderators from different demographic groups can help establish unity. For example, the co-leaders could be a man and a woman, a white person and a person of color, an adult and a young person.
• Help people to appreciate and respect their own and others' communication styles. People's cultural backgrounds affect the ways in which they communicate. For example, some cultures tend to be more outspoken and directive, while others are more reserved. Some cultures values listening more than speaking. In other cultures, taking a stand is of utmost importance. Help group members to realize there is no "right" way to communicate, and that understanding one another takes practice! Your leadership should demonstrate that each person has an important and unique contribution to make to the group.
• Don't let participants' awareness of cultural norms lead to stereotyping. Generalizations are just that: they don't necessarily apply to individuals within a culture.
• Remind the group, if necessary, that no one can represent his or her entire culture. Each person's experiences, as a unique individual and as a member of a group, are unique and valid. As one African-American woman said of black-white communication, "When you have some African-Americans in your group, the whites shouldn't think they are getting 'the black perspective'; but without African-Americans in the group, whites won't hear any black perspectives."
• Encourage group members to use their own experiences as they attempt to empathize with those who have been victims of discrimination. Many people who have been in a minority group have experiences that make this discussion a very personal issue. Others, particularly those who are usually in the majority, may not have thought as extensively about their own culture and its effects on their lives. To aid this, you may want to encourage people to think about times in their own lives when they have been treated unfairly, or to think about times when their own cultural group was oppressed. For those study circle participants who are currently at the receiving end of mistreatment, this could seem invalidating unless you explain that you are trying o build empathy and understanding among all members. Remind people that no one can know exactly what it feels like to be in anyone else's shoes.
• Encourage group members to talk about their own cultures, rather than other people's cultures. In this way, they will be less likely to make inaccurate generalizations about other cultures. Also, listening to others recount their own experiences breaks down stereotypes and broadens understanding.